Saudi CEER automaker unveils first car ‘EXOBOT’

Saudi EV automaker Ceer unveiled its first EV cars ever on Monday, a sedan and an SUV under the ‘EXOBOT’ name, with five more vehicles planned to launch over the next five years.

Ceer is the first homegrown car manufacturer in Saudi, having been launched by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman through his Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in 2022.

The Ceer Manufacturing Complex (CMC), which the company said is “the largest automotive production facility in the Middle East and one of the most technologically advanced in the world” will be producing the cars for Saudi Arabia and the region.

Ceer has stated that its lineup will expand to include compact to midsize vehicles with “various propulsion options,” with full details yet pending.

Ceer has further stated that its vehicles are developed “according to the highest global standards, further strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a rising force in the global automotive industry.”

Both the SUV and sedan EXOBOT models share the same specifications of a 112 kWh high-capacity battery offering a combined 850 horsepower and going from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.6 seconds — differing only in their range with the sedan reaching an estimated range of 670km while the SUV reaches 560km.

Thanks to its 800-volt electrical architecture, the EXOBOT vehicles’ battery can recharge from 10 percent  to 80 percent in just 30 minutes.

Ceer is set to play an integral part of Saudi’s Vision 2030 strategy as the country aims to increase non-oil exports to over 50% of non-oil GDP while sourcing over 50% of electricity from renewables.

With Ceer expected to contribute about $8 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2030.