MOROCCO: First “Made in Morocco” car brand NEO’s ‘NamX’ presented to King Mohammed VI

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI presides at the Royal Palace in Rabat the presentation ceremony of the model of the first Moroccan car manufacturer “Neo Motors” and the prototype of a hydrogen vehicle “NamX” developed by a Moroccan.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI presided, on Monday at the Royal Palace in Rabat the presentation ceremony of the model of the first Moroccan car manufacturer and the prototype of a hydrogen vehicle developed by a Moroccan, two innovative projects that will strengthen the promotion of the “Made In Morocco” label and consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a competitive automotive production platform.

The presentation to the King of the car of “Neo Motors”, a company owned by Moroccan capital, and of the prototype of a hydrogen vehicle of the company NamX, named HUV (Hydrogen Utility Vehicle), underlines the Sovereign’s willingness to encourage and promote the pioneering national entrepreneurial initiatives and the creative capacities, particularly of the Moroccan youth, that these projects embody.

These two industrial initiatives are in line with the High Royal Directions aiming at directing the private sector towards productive investment, in particular in the advanced and future sectors and at stimulating the emergence of a new generation of companies in the Kingdom.

They also confirm the King’s far-sighted vision in terms of sustainable development and the promotion of renewable energies, particularly the emerging field of green hydrogen.

Neo Motors company has set up an industrial unit in Ain Aouda (Rabat-Salé-Kenitra Region), to manufacture motor vehicles for the local market and for export, with a projected annual capacity of 27,000 units and a local integration rate of 65%.

The total projected investment for this project amounts to 156 million dirhams ($15.6 million) and will eventually create 580 jobs.

The final approval of the first vehicle was issued by the National Agency for Road Safety in February 2023. The company has launched the pre-production and plans to inaugurate the industrial unit during the month of June 2023 and to launch the marketing.

This project, which gives birth to the first Moroccan consumer car brand, is carried by national skills. It relies mainly on the ecosystem of local automotive suppliers developed by the Kingdom.

As for the prototype of the hydrogen vehicle of NamX, it was designed in collaboration with the Italian design office and coachbuilder of reference Pininfarina. The interior design of the vehicle has been realized by Moroccan talents.

Indeed, the HUV model will be supplied with hydrogen by a central tank that will be completed by six removable capsules, guaranteeing a significant autonomy and facilitating the hydrogen recharge in a few minutes.

This pilot project places Morocco firmly in the ongoing worldwide momentum to develop new forms of transport that combine efficiency and respect for the environment.

The monarch awarded the Wissam Al Kafaa Al Fikria to Nassim Belkhayat, founder and CEO of Neo Motors company, and Faouzi Annajah, President and founder of NamX company.

source/content: middle-east-online.com (meo) / headline edited

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The two industrial initiatives are in line with the High Royal Directions aiming at directing the private sector towards productive investment

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MOROCCO

Faouzi Annajah: Moroccan-French Businessman Behind Hydrogen SUV NamX

NamX’s prototype was unveiled earlier this week. Yet the car will not be available in the market until 2025.

Morocco-French businessman Faouzi Annajah, founder of NamX, has co-created the world’s first car partially powered by a patented removable hydrogen tank system.

NamX’s patented technology consists of a fixed hydrogen tank and six removable capsules. 

Set to be released in 2025, NamX responds to the rising demand for hydrogen and hybrid cars amid an increasingly prevailing shift towards clean energy sources and decarbonization worldwide. 

“Our double ambition is to become a new reference in the world of zero-emission cars, and to constantly explore new territories to facilitate mobility of our consumers,” Faouzi ANNAJAH, Founder and President of NAMX said in a press release. “ NAMX is a collective project built with the best industrial and technical partners in Europe and Africa.”

The European-African project gathered the support of renowned stakeholders on both continents including Ibrahima Sissoko, founder of over 30 companies, Pierre-Yves Geels, former VP strategy of Matra automotive, Alain Diboine, former Director of the R&D Division at Renault, Mustapha Mokass, clean energy and carbon finance expert, and Raphaël Schoetgen, former Chairman of Hydrogen Europe and international hydrogen expert. 

NamX was co-designed by Thomas de Lussac, co-founder of NamX, and Kevin Rice, Chief Creative Officer of Italian car design firm Pininfarina. Inspired by science fiction and American designs of the 50s and 60s, Lussac “chose to give the vehicle’s shape the cutting edge of the coming era.”

NamX is the first car designed by Pininfarina that was created from the back to the front with an eye-catching feature, an X-shaped chassis. 

Commenting on the hydrogen SUV, Paolo Pininfarina, President of the Italian design firm, said that “the NAMX HUV [hybrid utility vehicle] is simply at the heart of our DNA: inventing the best driving experience to infinite mobility, with style.” 

Upon its release in the final quarter of 2025, NamX will be marketed in two different versions including an entry-level rear-wheel drive with a regulated top speed of 200 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds. The second option provides a four-wheel drive with a regulated top speed of 250 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. 

The two versions will have a price tag ranging between €65,000 and €95,000. 

The NamX prototype was first unveiled on May 11 in the Pininfarina headquarters in Cambiano. The public will have a glimpse of NamX at the upcoming Paris Motor Show scheduled between October  17 and 23, 2022. 

As Annajah’s home country, Morocco might host the production operations of NamX, the founder told a Moroccan news outlet, promising future announcements on the matter. 

As a leading African automotive hub, Morocco has attracted renowned international automotive manufacturers including ones interested in developing hybrid and electric cars. 

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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Faouzi Annajah: Moroccan-French Businessman Behind Hydrogen SUV NamX

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FRENCH / MOROCCAN