Avatr Technology, a battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufacturer controlled by Chinese state owned automaker Chongqing Changan Automobile, signed an exclusive distribution agreement for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Smart Mobility International.
The UAE is first Middle East market to be targeted by Avatr as the BEV startup continued to get its export strategy under way. The company began targeting overseas markets earlier this year, initially prioritising southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe, as competition in its domestic market continued to intensify.
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Avatr was originally a joint venture between Changan Automobile and Nio before the two companies parted ways. The company, also backed by EV battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), raised US$410m in late 2023 in a series B funding round. It began selling BEVs in 2022 and had sold so far.
Smart Mobility International, a unit of the local United Al Saqer Group, is a new energy vehicle (NEV) distributor based in Abu Dhabi also handling Chinese BEV brand Neta.
United Al Saqer also distributes BMW-Mini, Rolls-Royce and McLaren.
