EGYPT: MCV to manufacture electric bus bodies for Volvo Cars
While the European market for electric vehicles is booming, Swedish manufacturers Volvo Cars and Egyptian Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles (MCV) have agreed to manufacture electric bus bodies which will be exported to Europe.
Egypt is gradually becoming the favorite African country for the construction and export of electric vehicles to Europe. A new and second agreement has just been concluded between the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars and the Egyptian Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles (MCV), whose factory is located in Salheya, in the governorate of Ach-Charqiya. In 2024, MCV will start manufacturing “bodies (rigid sheet metal envelope which covers the vehicle chassis, Editor’s note) for Volvo’s urban and interurban buses” .
The equipment which will be delivered from the first quarter of 2025 is essential for these vehicles which are on the rise in several European countries, particularly in the tourism sector. This is why since 2016, Volvo has already exported at least 60 electric bus components from Egypt, mainly to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
“MCV’s work will enable us to offer a full range of Volvo city and intercity buses in the premium segment. MCV is an ideal partner with the skills and capacity to meet the high demands of our European customers ,” explains Dan Pettersson, Vice President of Volvo Cars. This subsidiary of the Chinese automobile group Geely is not the only organization seeking the expertise of the manufacturer MCV.
There is also the Egyptian government which ordered the entire manufacture of 100 electric buses the day after the 27th United Nations Climate Conference of the Parties (COP 27) held in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2022. Objective, to promote sustainable modes of transport within the National Authority for Military Production. It is a 680 million Egyptian pounds ($27.6 million) deal driven by the Arab Union Land Transport and Tourism Corporation (Super Jet).
