Robo.ai’s Astra Mobility Meta Partners with W Motors to Co-Develop Next-Generation Intelligent Electric and Autonomous Vehicles

Image Courtesy: Public Domain

Robo.ai Inc. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Astra Mobility Meta (Cayman) Limited ("Astra"), has entered into a commercial agreement with Dubai-headquartered W Motors Automotive Group ("W Motors") to co-develop and produce a new generation of intelligent electric last mile and autonomous multi-purpose vehicles. Under the agreement, following the successful development and testing of the vehicles, W Motors plans to procure no fewer than 30,000 vehicles from Astra over the next five years.  

W Motors'market credibility and public-sector track record

Known globally for the Lykan HyperSport supercar, W Motors has evolved into a trusted provider of smart mobility and security solutions in the region. Its GHIATH smart patrol platform—developed with Dubai Police—has earned international recognition, underscoring W Motors' capability to deliver high-performance, high-trust vehicles for government and public-safety use. 

Program scope, roles, and timeline

The collaboration covers end-to-end vehicle design, development, validation, and production for multiple use cases including last-mile delivery, shared mobility, smart logistics and autonomous vehicles. Astra will lead product design, development, prototyping, components manufacturing, safety certification, systems integration, and after-sales support. W Motors will handle local manufacturing and assembly in the UAE within its state-of-the-art factory in Dubai Silicon Oasis along with full customization to align with market requirements, operational data, and customer testing feedback to ensure regulatory alignment and commercial fit for the Middle East. The parties expect a 12-month development cycle, with start of production (SOP) targeted for 2026. The deployment of the first proof-of-concept (POC) vehicle, which will be tested with the end user, is expected within three months of signing. The program will launch in the UAE and expand to broader GCC region. 

Web3/DePIN integration for vehicle-as-a-node

Astra and W Motors plan to connect the vehicles to Arkreen's green-energy data network and blockchain incentive framework, enabling trusted, on-chain records for charging, energy use, carbon emissions, and mobility data, so each vehicle can operate with a verifiable digital identity and native revenue model. This approach supports:

• DePIN-driven value accrual: operational and energy-contribution data mapped to on-chain rewards;
• RWA mapping: transparent linkage between physical assets and blockchain-based economics;
• ESG capital enablement: a compliant pathway to attract global sustainable-finance flows into regional smart manufacturing.

Executive commentary

"This is a system-level upgrade for the Middle East's smart-manufacturing ecosystem," said Lawrence Chao, President of Astra Mobility Meta. "By pairing Astra's EV and autonomous technologies with W Motors' market insight and operational capability, and integrating with Arkreen's DePIN network, every vehicle becomes a node for energy data and digital asset value, completing the value loop for intelligent hardware." 

"W Motors is committed to accelerating the region's transition to sustainable, intelligent mobility," said Ralph R. Debbas, Chief Executive Officer of W Motors Automotive Group. "Our collaboration with Astra enables us to deliver more efficient and forward-looking EV solutions. With Robo.ai and Arkreen's integration in Web3 and green-energy infrastructure, we aim to set a new benchmark for the Middle East."