Mexico has swiftly risen as a key player in the global electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing landscape. This shift toward sustainable transportation aligns with the international push to lower carbon emissions and boost renewable energy. Mexico’s strategic location, developed automotive industry, skilled workforce, abundant resources such as lithium - critical for EV batteries—have attracted significant investments from global automakers.
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Mexico’s electric vehicle (EV) industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years. In 2020, Mexico produced 6,717 EV units, but by 2023, this number had surged to 109,695 units. Despite of a global slowdown of EV production, the 2024 forecast will still represent a 61% increase over 2023.
Global automotive manufacturers are increasingly choosing Mexico for electric vehicle (EV) production due to strategic advantages in proximity, talent, and industry infrastructure. Nearshoring to Mexico allows companies to position themselves close to the vast U.S. market, reducing logistics costs and benefiting from favorable trade agreements like the USMCA, which eases cross-border commerce and boosts competitiveness.
Additionally, Mexico has a highly skilled workforce that is already adapting to electromobility demands, with technical expertise transitioning to meet the growing needs of EV production. Mexico's well-established automotive industry, with a mature network of suppliers and manufacturing capabilities, further strengthens its appeal as an EV hub. This combination of location, skilled labor, and industry infrastructure makes Mexico an attractive destination for automakers aiming to scale their EV operations efficiently and competitively.
Both international and domestic automobile companies are investing in Mexico. Many EV's are made in Mexico to be exported to their home countries, notable the U.S. and Germany. Others are planning a domestic and Latin America strategy for their EV OEM production plans in Mexico. This is the case for several Chinese OEM companies like BYD, BAIC, among others.
Download the e-book for a breakdown of the EV industry by Mexican state.
In 2023, EV automotive OEM assembly plants produced a total of 109,695 units. At the beginning of 2024 the market began to shift, showing slumps in demand. Yet still, EV production in Mexico could still reach 161,000 units by the close of 2024 (estimated by Mapeo de Electromovilidad Q2 2024).
This forecast is dominated by General Motors in Ramos Arizpe, whose current and total planned EV production for the year would represent 71.8% of the national total.
The pause on Tesla's $5 billion Gigafactory project in Nuevo León has generated much discussion following Elon Musk's announcement. Initially intended to support Tesla’s nearshoring strategy by moving production closer to the U.S., the project now faces delays due to economic and political uncertainties, especially the potential for high U.S. tariffs on Mexican-made vehicles proposed by Donald Trump.
While Governor Samuel García is optimistic, noting Nuevo León's readiness and infrastructure, the federal government highlights that Tesla has yet to register the investment. This situation reflects the challenges of global investments in a volatile political landscape, yet Mexico remains an attractive investment destination, as shown by its record $20 billion in foreign direct investment in early 2024. The project's future hinges on U.S. political developments, but Mexico’s potential in the EV and manufacturing sectors remains strong. Read full article on LinkedIn.
In 2020, the Ministry of Economy (SE) published a decree in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) that eliminated import tariffs on electric cars in Mexico.
Since EV car production in Mexico was still developing, the government aimed to encourage international purchases of these vehicles to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
The decree was in effect from September 4, 2020 until September 30, 2024. Yet it seems to have been very effective in flooding the market with EV imports.
According to EMA, the Electromobility Association, Mexico sells 79 electric vehicles of Chinese brand and origin. These include JAC, BYD, SEV and MG along with manufacturers that produce some electric models in China such as Volvo, BMW and Renault.
As reported by El Economista (with data from the U.S. Department of Commerce) during the first half of 2024, Mexico exported $3.12 billion dollars worth of electric vehicles to the United States. This represented a 170% increase over the same period in 2023. Germany was the top importer to the U.S. with $3.21 billion dollars.
Mexico's growing EV industry is also supported by a robust supply chain. As of March 2024, there were 320 assemblers, suppliers or buyers related to EV's in Mexico. According to Directorio Automotriz, 78% of them are Tier 1 & 2 Suppliers:
During the first semester of 2024, investments related to electric vehicles reached $4.69 billion dollars, according to Mapeo de Electromovilidad. About half of that amount is attributed to Volkswagen Group, including Audi. Compared to the same period in 2023, the investments marked a 36.57% decline, most likely signaling market slowdown and the election season.
Despite the slowdown electromobility remains a key focus, with 36.4% of investments tied to EV platforms. China was a notable contributor, with its investment in the automotive sector growing by 52.7% over the same period in 2023. This trend aligns with the growing importance of nearshoring as companies look to relocate production closer to the U.S. and benefit from Mexico's trade advantages under the USMCA.
In the whole of the automotive sector, total investments reached $7.8 billion dollars. With these announcements in the first semester of 2024 alone, more than 34,000 jobs will be created and 65 million square feet of construction are planned in Mexico.
Download the ebook to see more details of the investments in the EV industry by state, as well as the domestic sales of EVs in Mexico.
As of the beginning of 2024, there were 3 Mexican states with projects for the development of EV batteries. The push for domestic-made batteries is to achieve the 75% regional content requirement in the USMCA. An EV's car battery can account for 30-40% of the EV's total value.
In May 2024, BMW Group announced the production of their new high-voltage battery production center alongside their assembly plant in San Luis Potosi. The facility will go on-line in 2027.
Mexico ranks 7th globally in copper production, reaching 743,000 metric tons of production in 2023 (Mapeo Electromovilidad Q2 2024). In fact, Mexico is among the top three suppliers for 14 of the 50 critical minerals identified by the United States - including its largest supplier for fluorspar, strontium, and gold.
Mexico is also believed to have the world's largest lithium deposits, concentrated in the Mexican state of Sonora. Recognizing this potential, the federal government has made lithium a strategic resource for the country's development, nationalizing it in 2022.
Mexico's automotive industry is crucial in importance not only to Mexico but also to North America. Download the 2024 Automotive Industry Report for additional information.
About 3-4% of Mexico's GDP is attributed to the automotive industry, with the export dominating the landscape. About 88% of the automobiles made in Mexico are exported, and 87% of these end up in the United States.
There are a total of 21 automotive OEMs in Mexico that manufacture vehicles. Nearly 84,000 employees work in Mexico's OEM facilities (AMIA).
Note - BAIC is not included due to the limited production process of their imported vehicles.
Based on the results from the first semester of 2024, Mexico is on track to produce nearly 4,000,000 vehicles in 2024. This would mark a record high. Comparing September 2023 to September 2024, Mexico produced 8.3% more cars in 2024.
By all accounts, only 4% of vehicles made in Mexico are electric. Mexico, as well as the United States both have plans for bolstering EV manufacturing in Mexico, as well as impulsing the adoption of EVs and driving demand.
One of the country’s key targets is to generate 35% of its energy from clean sources by 2024 and 50% by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. The Mexican government has made significant strides in this direction by promoting renewable energy projects, particularly in solar, wind, and geothermal power. According to data from the Ministry of Energy (SENER), renewable energy generation accounted for nearly 30% of Mexico’s total electricity production in 2022, demonstrating notable progress toward its 2024 target.
Download the ebook for some notable electrification projects in Mexico.
Claudia Sheinbaum, the former Mayor of Mexico City and current President of Mexico, has made clean energy and sustainability a cornerstone of her political agenda.
Throughout her tenure as mayor, she implemented several key initiatives aimed at reducing the city’s carbon footprint, particularly by promoting renewable energy and enhancing energy efficiency in public infrastructure. One of her signature projects was the expansion of Mexico City’s electric public transport system, including the trolleybus and electric bus fleets. She also oversaw the installation of solar panels in public schools and government buildings, and championed Mexico City’s Climate Action Program, which aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.
Looking forward, Sheinbaum’s broader clean energy goals for Mexico focus on accelerating the country’s transition to renewable energy sources and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. She advocates for increasing investment in solar, wind, and geothermal energy, and supports the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure to make clean transportation more accessible nationwide. Sheinbaum has emphasized the need for a just energy transition that benefits all Mexicans, including rural and low-income communities, by creating green jobs and ensuring that clean energy technologies are affordable and widely adopted.