OLINIA: MEXICO’S PUBLIC POLICY INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY

Urban mobility in Mexico faces challenges such as traffic congestion, air pollution, and a lack of affordable and safe transportation options. In 2023, the Mexican government launched the Olinia project, the first national company to assemble electric micro-vehicles, as a public policy strategy to promote sustainable and inclusive urban mobility. This article analyzes the Olinia project at the intersection of public policy and sustainable mobility, describing its objectives, development methodology, initial results, and challenges. Based exclusively on institutional speeches and media interviews with the project’s coordinator, it examines the elements of strategic planning, inter-institutional collaboration, domestic technological development, affordability, and the expected impacts of the Olinia model. The results highlight planning focused on the first and last mile of urban transport, the creation of a multidisciplinary team composed of talent from national educational institutions (IPN, TecNM, UNAM, among others), the design of ultra-compact electric vehicles with low cost and low energy consumption, and the adoption of a decentralized production model unprecedented in Mexico’s automotive industry. The discussion evaluates the project’s strengths (government support, alignment with local needs, and national technological appropriation), its limitations (regulatory, technological, and market challenges), and areas for improvement. It concludes that Olinia represents a pioneering case of public policy innovation aimed at sustainable mobility, with the potential to transform urban mobility in Mexico and to inspire similar initiatives in emerging economies.