GM Africa & Middle East drives electric vehicle community education through collaborations, contributing to regional net zero goals

General Motors Africa and Middle East (GM AMEO) brings ‘Everybody In’ to its vision for the future of mobility through a collaborative, dedicated educational webinar, hosted by Harvard Business Review Arabia, a Majarra platform. Combining insights from industry opinion leaders and GM’s own battery technology experts, GM aims to empower regional audiences with information and encourage transparent conversations toward electrification.

According to the International Energy Agency [1], by 2030, the global electric car market will represent more than 60% of vehicles sold globally, while by 2035, the largest automotive markets will be fully electric according to McKinsey and Company[2]. Driving this change are concerns over environmental sustainability, technological advancements, and a shifting consumer mindset.

Through consistent education, GM is raising awareness about the importance of innovative technologies to reach collective regional sustainability goals and its own vision of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. This is supported by an understanding of the battery technologies, infrastructure development, legislative changes, and the growing presence of partnerships, aimed at enabling a seamless introduction to the market.

A recent survey conducted by Morning Consult, commissioned by GM AMEO, examined awareness and attitudes towards electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure development, revealing increased interest in EV adoption across the region. Building on this finding, the session offered a new perspective for consumers to consider their carbon footprint and how to address it within their mobility needs.

With plans to launch over a dozen new electric vehicles in the Middle East by the close of the decade through some of the region’s most loved vehicle brands – Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac, GM outlined how their electric propulsion technology advantage – the Ultium EV Platform, is spearheading the electric revolution. While highlighting the engineering elements of Ultium and how it is empowering GM’s upcoming portfolio of electric and autonomous vehicles, the discussion was set within the wider context of the region’s efforts to combat climate change, with insights from experts in Harvard Business Review Arabia and the University of Sharjah.

Taking attendees through the session was Andy Oury – Engineering Technical Leader for High Voltage Battery Packs at General Motors, shedding light on GM’s innovative Ultium battery technology transforming accessibility, performance, convenience, resilience, and flexibility of EVs. He emphasized how, globally, the Ultium technology is empowering more than only an electric vehicle with its scalability, extending to support robust public charging infrastructure, vehicle connectivity experience similar to a smartphone, and electrifying homes and business with energy management products and services.

Meanwhile, Prof. Chaouki Ghenai, Professor of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering in the College of Engineering at University of Sharjah, shared his thoughts on the role of electric vehicles in the energy transition and net zero emissions by 2050, the importance of developing infrastructure, establishing sustainable supply chains and materials, and utilizing cutting-edge technologies to facilitate widespread adoption.

Jack Uppal, President & Managing Director, GM Africa & Middle East shared, “We are eager to educate the public on our vision for the future of mobility, one that reduces individual carbon footprints, offers increased connectivity and personalization of the drive experience and elevated safety. As we look towards an all-electric future, we are aligned with the many regional environmental and sustainability agendas in place, and see it of the utmost importance to work with the visionary governments to accelerate infrastructure on this front. This is supplemented by a series of public-private partnerships to further accelerate the roll out of and access to EVs. Honing in on consumers, the recent webinar celebrates our focus on collaboration and evidences our commitment to bringing Everybody In to our vision for the future of mobility.”

Prof. Chaouki Ghenai, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering Department, Director of the Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Chair of the Energy and Climate Change, Sustainability Office at the University of Sharjah added, “Electric vehicles (EVs) are a key contributor to both the transition to a more sustainable energy source and the aim of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This shift is essential in order to fight climate change, cut down on air pollution, and advance the usage of sustainable energy sources. In particular, EVs help achieve these aims in the following ways: reducing greenhouse gases, integration with renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, enhancing energy security, promoting technological advancements, and supporting job creation. Accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles and making this transition easier will require policy support in the form of incentives, subsidies, and the development of charging infrastructure. The development of innovative education and research and development (R&D) programs is playing critical parts in the progression of electric cars (EVs) and their widespread acceptance. To maximize the benefits of electric vehicle (EV) technology, government, business, and higher educational institutions must work together to promote innovation collaboration and stimulate economic growth.”

Dia Haykal, Director of Brand and Partnerships at Majarra, stated  “We are thrilled to partner with General Motors. The topic of electric vehicles is of paramount importance in today’s rapidly evolving world, and by raising awareness and fostering transparent conversations, we can collectively contribute to achieving regional net zero goals and combating climate change. Our partnership with GM signifies our shared commitment to empowering the community with knowledge, insights, and reliable content.”

Collaboration is central to GM’s all-inclusive approach, following partnerships with the Arab Youth Centre, GITEX HighFlyers, Sharjah Research Technology & Innovation Park, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, to incite an interest in the future of mobility within the next generation. General Motors will continue to work closely with partners in the region, to bring to life smart mobility solutions, that are welcomed by an educated audience – accelerating towards transformation across mobility.

The complete session is available on demand via Harvard Business Review Arabia’s platform, General Motors’ think tank partner across the initiative, as well as on GM Arabia. Please visit https://news.gmarabia.com/en/home/newsroom.detail.html/Pages/news/me/en/2023/gm/11-21-how-general-motors-is-charging-ahead

[1] International Energy Agency

[2] McKinsey and Company