What is clear is that Ceer from the start developed these vehicles to be quickly homologated for global markets, including Europe and maybe even North America. That’s no guarantee, but it does mean it’s fair to compare these vehicles to the best of what the rest of the world is doing regarding EVs. To that end, I asked Leitner what he thought makes Ceer stand out.

“Everyone has triple motors,” Leitner said. “Everyone has torque vectoring. Everyone has air suspension. What we do better than anyone else is integrate that all together to provide the best driving experience.”

Ceer models will be built at a dedicated complex in the King Abdullah Economic City just north of Jeddah, and suppliers will also be stationed nearby. If all goes to plan, Ceer expects 35,000 direct and indirect jobs to be created by 2034.

Will this be successful or will it be the next Fisker?

With the direct backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the financial resources are certainly available for success. Unlike Lucid, the PIF is the owner of Ceer and not just an investor, for one thing.

And the state wants to use its investment to create jobs locally, and not just at Ceer. In the United States, for every one automotive job, there are five additional jobs created in the local economy, when you factor in the suppliers and related support systems needed to run a car company.

Deluca spent a lot of time at General Motors in manufacturing, so he knows how to build cars, and much of the leadership team has experience with GM, Magna Steyer, or other deeply established legacy automakers. Deluca also spent time at VinFast, and while it may not have taken off in the United States, that company’s startup, building gas cars, and then pivoting to EVs happened lightning-quick. To hit the lineup targets, a similar approach will be needed here.