Brazil or Mexico: who will launch their national car first?
Lecar is in the race to launch the first latin american car
Much beyond the football fields.The competition between Brazil and Mexico should intensify with the announcement that the country of Hispanic origin plans to launch a national vehicle. The project Olinia a car with the seal "made in Mexico", was presented by the president, Claudia Sheinbaum, who seeks to develop an affordable alternative and that represents a symbol of the technological and economic progress of the country.
For here, Lecar, Brazilian automaker announced in December 2023 by Flavio Figueiredo Assis, which became known as “Elon Musk brazilian” walks at high speed to deliver a hybrid national vehicle. The Lecar 459 Hybrid model features a 100% Hepu 165 hp electric traction engine and a 1.0 Turbo 3-cylinder flex fuel (ethanol and gasoline) combustion engine from Horse, joint venture Renault and Geely, with a WEG power generator that recharges a battery from manufacturer Winston to power the electric traction motor.
With Openpilot level 2 semi-autonomous assistant steering technology, the car is expected to run 1,000 kilometers with 30 liters of ethanol and reduced emissions, as well as an Amazon-inspired design. A promise of new national pride. “We are fully convinced that our car has the full potential to gain space not only in Brazil and Latin America, but worldwide”, says, optimistic, Assis.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, according to the president, the government's perspective is to create a compact electric car with Mexican identity, from design to manufacturing. This would involve not only reducing dependence on imports, but also boosting the national automotive industry and harnessing local resources, such as lithium, to manufacture batteries.
The project is part of the so-called Sound Plan, a government initiative that seeks to harness the natural resources of the state of Sonora, such as lithium, essential for electric cars. The outlook is that Olinia manages thousands of jobs in the region and strengthens local supply chains, which would give Mexico greater technological and economic independence in the automotive sector. “Olinia has the potential to change everything in Mexico”, argues the president.
The feasibility of the project, however, still depends on many factors, from the quality of the design to the final price of the vehicle. Expectations are high, and both the government and Mexicans expect this car to deliver on all the promises made so far. If this, in fact, happens, the vehicle can meet not only the domestic market, but also become a model for other countries in the region, according to Claudia's expectations.
By here, the Lecar 459 Hybrid already has a date to reach the streets. The company announced the construction of its factory in Sooretama, Espirito Santo, and delivery of the first batch of vehicles for August 2026. Many interested parties have already joined the waiting list available on the automaker's website, for R $ 1,300.00. The first thousand customers will have an exclusive version "Founder Edition" for the price of R $ 147,900.00. The prospect is to produce 120 thousand cars/year. “This dispute will give even more flavor to the development of our car. We want to beat Mexico and present the first latin-first american car long before them”, concludes Assis.
About Lecar:
Lecar, proud to be Brazilian. We are a car manufacturer in Brazil.The company will launch the Lecar 459 Hybrid, a sustainable vehicle, when fueled with ethanol has emissions similar to 100% electric and semi-autonomous.
