NWTN makes progress on key facilities in UAE and China
NWTN, the Dubai-based mobility technology company developing passenger-centric green premium mobility solutions, has said that important progress has been made at two of its key facilities in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Jinhua, Zheijang in China.
The firm said that construction has been completed on its Electric Vehicle (EV) assembly facility in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2022. Since then, the facility has been in the final phase of installing equipment and conducting trial operations.
A statement added that the facility has now obtained the required EV production and sales license issued by the UAE government – the first to be issued in Abu Dhabi. NWTN added that it is now ready to implement its EV blueprint in the country, and the wider Middle East region.
At the same time, NWTN’s first parts and supply chain facility in the Chinese city of Jinhua, has been undergoing rapid construction since September 2022. Presently, the majority of workshop infrastructure – including stamping, welding, and painting – is in the final stages of construction.
As of September 20, 2022, the company’s parts and supply chain plant in China measures approximately 4,000,000 square feet, with a total investment of US$1.46 billion. Once operational, the plant is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 100,000 EVs.
It is one of the key projects in Zhejiang Province, China and the first high-end manufacturing project in the Jinyi New District of Jinhua City. It has an investment of more than US$1.4 billion. Work on the facility is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023; the company added. Following this, equipment installation and commissioning will start as planned.
Staff have already been recruited for the facility, with the company stating that all personnel are expected to complete professional training by the end of the year. Nearly half of the dormitories and canteens for the campus have been completed. These will provide high-quality logistical support for employees.
“The construction of NWTN's plants in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Jinhua, Zhejiang, China indicates that this UAE-headquartered company is progressing smoothly. Thanks to the unique capital and location advantages of the UAE as well as opportunities to capitalise on an advanced supply chain system in China, NWTN believes it has the potential to become a dazzling pearl in the global new energy industry chain," said the company.
NWTN's plant in Abu Dhabi is the company’s first EV assembly facility in UAE. Measuring approximately 270,000 square feet, it is in the Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD). Construction of the facility began in October 2022 and was completed by the end of December 2022, the company continued.
NWTN added that the production line is nearly complete, and it is working with BASF, the chemical company for paint surface refinishing as well as manufacturing safety training. In addition, the KEZAD facility will complete ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications soon. These represent a commitment to high standards of quality management, environmental management, and safety management, it asserted.
The annual capacity of the facility will initially be 5,000-10,000 units for the semi-knock down electric vehicles to meet rapidly increasing demand for new energy vehicles and sustainable transport options in the UAE and in other nations in the Middle East and North Africa. In phase two, NWTN will introduce several new electric vehicle models and expand capacity to 50,000 units annually with an expected start date in the first quarter of 2024.
Aligned with government objectives
The development of NWTN’s EV assembly facility has gained strong support from the UAE government and agencies, and is fully aligned with UAE’s “Net Zero 2050” strategic initiative that plans to achieve net-zero emission by 2050 with investments of over US$160 billion in renewable energy and sustainable technologies.
The completion and future expansion of NWTN’s facility will kick off the long-term development of the local electric vehicle research and development, manufacturing, supply chain establishment, and further into innovations in energy generation, usage, transportation, and storage in the region.
NWTN recently completed a merger with East Stone Acquisition Corporation, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) and was listed on the NASDAQ exchange on November 14.
