(Yicai) Nov. 19 -- Rox Motor has signed deals with new partners in the Middle East and North Africa at the ongoing Guangzhou Auto Show, as the Chinese new energy vehicle startup expands its global presence.

“Rox Motor is not just a Chinese brand,” said co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Yan Feng. “We want to set up a global brand!”

The Shanghai-based electric vehicle maker, founded in January 2021 and backed by Tencent Holdings, already sells to more than 20 countries, especially in the Middle East and Central Asia, he noted.

Rox Motor penned an agreement at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition with Laith AI Obaidi Motors, an Iraqi dealership that also represents Ferrari and Dongfeng Motors.

“We are seeking to provide our Iraqi customers with new technologies and benefits to minimize running costs,” General Manager Ayman Radwan said. He expressed his enthusiasm about partnering with Rox Motor and noted that the Rox 01 has a range of more than 1,000 kilometers.

The carmaker has made significant inroads in the United Arab Emirates, where the Rox 01 has take, a more than 15 percent market share in the all-terrain luxury SUV segment since January, ranking third. The firm will also provide vehicles for the UAE Police, marking a milestone in brand recognition.

“You can use it electrically, you can use petrol, you can use it hybrid... you can use it on the sand, you can use it everywhere you want,” noted Naser Abdulazeez bin Ahmed, CEO of UAE dealership Futures Trans Motors.

Tailor-Made Strategies

Rox Motor's approach to international markets involves creating versions of its cars that cater to regional tastes. Making its China debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show is the limited-edition Rox 01 Falcon, which honors the Middle East’s falconry culture. It has already attracted buyers from the royal family of Abu Dhabi. 

“For other markets, we provide fishing and camping versions, but all share the same powerful driving performance, good design, and software capabilities,” Yan said.

Many Chinese carmakers are expanding overseas, and all have to deal with the problem that Chinese cars are perceived as lower-end, Yan said. Rox Motor is challenging that with the Rox 01, which is priced in the premium segment at over CNY300,000 (USD41,440), he said.

The company has also launched the Rox Lure Magic Box, a fishing tackle box priced at CNY11,999 (but just CNY9,999 at the motor show) to meet the needs of fishing enthusiasts. 

Future Vision 

“We want to be the number one auto lifestyle brand in the industry,” Yan pointed out, adding that next year there will be a new version of the Rox 01, and two more models will be released in 2025 and 2026.

As the company pursues global expansion, it is also exploring options for overseas manufacturing. “We’re evaluating building factories or [taking over] semi-knocked-down facilities in international markets where sales exceed 10,000 units,” he said.

Yan noted that the firm is well-positioned to execute such plans due to its team of skilled engineers and experts, along with strong support from local governments.

According to a report by consultancy Roland Berger, the market shars of Chinese automakers in the Middle East has grown from 2 percent in 2019 to 13 percent last year, and it is expected to reach 15 percent next year

Last year, the market for lightweight vehicles in the Gulf region was about 1.1 million units, with Saudi Arabia accounting for 56 percent, the UAE for 21 percent, and Kuwait for 11 percent, per the report.

China exported 420,000 passenger vehicles to the Middle East in the first half of this year, making it the top overseas destination for Chinese auto exports, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

Editor: Tom Litting