Ford is gearing up to launch new EVs overseas as it battles for global market share. Ahead of its EV blitz, Ford is currently the fastest-growing auto brand in Saudi Arabia. The American automaker is laying the groundwork for “an electrified future” in The Middle East.

Ford sees sales surge in Saudi Arabia with EVs en route

More people are buying Ford’s vehicles in The Middle East than ever. “2024 has been an exceptional year for Ford in the Middle East, with sales having doubled since 2022,” president of Ford Middle East, Ravi Ravichandran, said Thursday.

Ford’s success is being driven by “strong market share gains by our distributors,” Ravichandran explained.

The American automaker is growing in key regions, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

Ford said it’s currently the fastest-growing auto brand in Saudi Arabia. The sales surge is thanks to “Ford’s extensive and freshest portfolio of vehicles,” the company said. However, the lineup is about to get even more attractive.

The company highlighted its new lineup of vehicles, including its first fully electric vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E.

The “Mustang Mach E represents a landmark moment for us,” Ford’s president of International Markets Group, Kay Hart, said. “It’s our first fully electric vehicle for the region and is truly one of the most exciting vehicles Ford has ever produced.”

Ford will launch the 2025 Mustang Mach-E in the region next year. It will be available in two battery options with an estimated range of 350 to 450 km (217 to 280 miles).

The Mach-E will join Ford’s F-150, Taurus, and Territory models. Next year, Ford’s best-selling nameplate, the Territory, will also arrive in the Middle East in hybrid form.

With a new parts distribution center opening in the UAE in January 2025, Ford said it will offer quicker parts delivery, allowing drivers to get back on the road quicker.

Electrek’s Take

Although Ford is growing in The Middle East, the company is downsizing in other key regions. In Germany, Ford lost two of its most experienced leadership team members this month.

The American automaker now has just two managing directors in Germany, down from nine earlier this year.

Ford is restructuring its business in Germany as it fights stiff competition, including low-cost Chinese EV makers. The Middle East is another key overseas auto market shifting to electric models. Ford will compete with incoming rivals like BYD to gain market share.

In the US, Ford is shutting down production of its once best-selling F-150 Lightning electric pickup in Michigan for nearly two months.

Ford spokesperson Jessica Enoch told Electrek in an emailed statement, “We continue to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability.”

Through the first ten months of 2024, Ford has sold nearly 74,000 EVs in the US, up 38% from the 53,502 sold last year.

The Fucare electric bikes I’ve tested in the past have largely been fast and powerful machines, but always within the realm of reason. Apparently, that streak has come to an end with the new Fucare Gemini X Sport Dual Motor Dual Battery electric bike, which throws reason to the wind with so much power and speed that you can’t really call it much of an electric ‘bicycle’ anymore.

What I mean is that any two-wheeled EV that can hit 35 mph (56 km/h) is so far beyond the standard e-bike regulations in the US that it can’t even pretend to be in the grey area anymore.

This is a certifiable electric moped, at least in a hyperbolic sense. Good luck getting actual certificates like trying to register it as a motorbike.

But that’s a future problem. Let’s talk about the present, which means it’s time to jump into a review of how this crazy powerful e-moped actually rides.

Fucare Gemini X Sport Video Review

Fucare Gemini X Sport tech specs

• Motor: Dual 750W continuous (total of 2,400W peak) geared hub motors
• Top speed: 50-56 km/h (32-35 mph)
• Range: Claimed up to 120 km (75 mi) on throttle
• Battery: Dual 48V 15Ah for a total of 1,440 Wh
• Max load: 181 kg (400 lb)
• Brakes: Hydraulic two-piston disc brakes
• Extras: LCD display, LED head and tail lights, kickstand, suspension fork, 4″ fat tires, and included fenders & rear rack

Double the trouble, twice

Double batteries usually means double the range. But in this case, doubling the motors keeps the usual range closer to a standard single-battery/single-motor bike, unless you’re choosing to limit that power or only use one motor for casual riding.

Even without getting the double-range benefit, you’re getting a lot of extra power and the ability to supply that power. The pair of supposedly UL-compliant batteries gives us nearly 1.5 kWh of capacity, which is a veritable ton of battery on an e-bike.

I’m glad to see that both batteries get tucked away inside that rather neat-looking trellis frame too. Fucare scores some bonus points in my book for their novel frame designs, which help them look interesting and unique compared to the same old e-bike designs we see from many different companies.

On the other hand, the frame also has its problems, including that the rear chainstays (the tubes on either side of the rear motor) splay out so far that I get heel strike as I pedal. I’ve learned to spread my heels out to avoid it, but it’s not something you should have to adapt to – it should just be designed well to begin with.

There are other compromises too, such as the extreme weight of the bike, pushing 99 lb (45 kg). I had to set up a hanging scale just to check that figure, as you’ll see in my video review above. That is a lot of bike!

And it should be no surprise where all of that weight is coming from. Those dual motors and dual batteries are chunky, of course. That’s a major contributor. But the bike also has a hefty dual crown suspension fork, wide (and heavy) 4″ tires, and a bunch of other add-ons like fenders, rear rack, LED lights, big and visible display, hydraulic disc brakes, etc.

Each of these components add to the usability of the bike, and so I’m glad they’re there. But they each also add to that weight, leaving us just one pound shy of triple digits.

Of course most people are going to treat this bike more like a motorcycle anyway, and so I don’t see a lot of folks attempting to lift this into their car or carry it up a flight of stairs. This is very much a moped or motorbike replacement. It gets well over 30 mph on throttle (with a full battery and a tucked riding posture, you can get close to 35 mph). It’s got a motorcycle-style fork and enough rubber on the road to hug those turns with confidence. And the whole thing just screams motorbike, not electric bicycle. So it’s obvious that weight savings were the last thing on the designer’s minds.

Ultimately, the price is what makes or breaks a lot of these direct-to-consumer electric bikes, and Fucare seems to know that very well. At $1,699, it’s hard to fault the company on performance-to-price ratio.

There aren’t many e-bikes with 1,500W of power, 30+ mph speeds, dual motors, dual batteries, and a slick-looking frame for this price. In fact, most don’t even get close to this price. So I commend Fucare in that sense.

On the other hand, you’re basically taking a risk every time you ride this bike on the road and pretend to be an e-bike, since it is obviously so far outside of Class 2 or Class 3 e-bike specs in most states in the US. So as an off-road only bike, go for it. But for on-road use, you should either adjust the settings appropriately for your local laws or at least ride respectfully of others around you, especially when sharing bike lanes and other areas with vulnerable road users.

This is a lot of bike, and it’s fun to know you can get these performance specs at this price. But you better know going in that this is a vehicle that requires some serious responsibility, too. And a good helmet. And probably a good jacket, while you’re at it.

As promised, XPeng Motors followed yesterday’s annual Tech Day event with the launch of its next all-electric model, the P7+. The sleek sedan arrives priced below previous pre-order numbers and is loaded with AI-centric technology while providing multiple battery chemistries to offer varying ranges.

Today’s launch of the P7+ was expected, as Chinese automaker XPeng Motors ($XPEV) has been promising it for over a month. The company unveiled the new BEV, which arrives as an AI-centric evolution of XPeng’s flagship sedan, the P7, in October.

The new model is noteworthy because it is the first XPeng model to abandon LiDAR sensors in favor of pure vision cameras in a new advanced system we now know as “Hawkeye Vision” (as an Iowa alum, I love this).

Four days after the unveiling, XPeng debuted the P7+ at the Paris Motor Show, kicking off pre-sales in China with initial pricing starting at RMB 209,800 ($29,610). At the time, XPeng Motors shared it would officially launch the new P7+ on November 7, 2024.

Here we are, and XPeng has made good on that promise, divulging some juicy new details, including interior shots, range estimates, and official pricing, which is lower than initially advertised.

XPeng launches P7+ below pre-order prices

Earlier today, in Guangzhou, China, XPeng held a launch event for the new P7+ AI smart hatchback. This was followed by updates to its Weibo page and a press release featuring the images above and below.

The new BEV has officially launched with much of the technology we previously covered, including the automaker’s new “cutting-edge AI architecture. Company founder and chairman He Xiaopeng spoke:

In traditional cars, being premium has often been defined by design and features, but in the era of AI-defined vehicles, true premium quality is inseparable from intelligent technology.

XPeng Motors believes it has achieved this vision with the P7+ and describes it as the first vehicle to incorporate large AI models into smart driving and cockpit functions. That starts with the vehicle’s ADAS, equipped with XPeng’s in-house XOS 5.4 software platform and the aforementioned AI Hawkeye Visual Solution.

The automaker shared that the former can enhance human-like interactions fourfold, with a 53% increase in lane-change success and a 155% improvement in detour handling during autonomous driving sessions.

The P7+’s cockpit (seen below) features XPeng’s proprietary X-GPT model, powered by a Qualcomm 8295P chip that delivers 50% better performance. The system enables drivers to interact with intelligent, natural voice interactions with in-depth comprehension, offering several functions that can be activated by a simple voice command.

The interior features a 15.6-inch central control screen on the dash, a 10.25-inch digital instrument display for the driver, and an 8-inch rear entertainment screen with three-screen connectivity throughout.

And now, for the moment, you’ve all been waiting for – specs and pricing (and so have we). Per XPeng, the new P7+ has launched with two standard variants and one limited edition premium model, of which only 500 units will be sold.

The entry-level variant features a 60.7 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack with cells from Eve Energy, offering a (CLTC) range of 602 km (374 miles). However, XPeng said that the initial range could be boosted to 615 km (382 miles) after an OTA system update, which will be available next month.

The other two variants use the same chemistry but with a larger 76.3 kWh pack that offers CLTC ranges of 710 km (441 miles) and 685 km (426 miles), respectively. Following a software update next month, those variants should also see a slight range increase.

XPeng Motors is touting the LFP battery packs in the P7+ as the “world’s thinnest” (109 mm), enabling more passenger headroom (973 mm) in the hatchback, a vehicle design that is often tight on interior space. Speaking of space, XPeng made a point to showcase the cargo capacity of the P7+, which is 725 liters with the rear seats folded down, capable of hauling 33 carry-on suitcases. There is also a frunk (see image above) that adds additional space for stowage.

As for pricing, XPeng Motors’ MSRP of the P7+ is lower than initially promised. It will start at RMB 186,800 ($26,150), RMB 23,000 ($3,221) lower than the pre-order price shared last month.

The standard variant with the larger pack starts at RMB 198,800 ($27,840), while the limited edition model is priced at RMB 218,800 ($30,640). Deliveries are expected to begin in China later this month.