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Briggs Auto Co. Ventures To Middle East Via Veloce Life Partnership

RIYADH: Briggs Automotive Company from the United Kingdom has entered into an agreement with Saudi Arabia's Veloce Life to distribute its high-performance cars in the Kingdom.

According to Neil Briggs, who is a co-founder and the director of product development at BAC, Saudi Arabia is undeniably the central force in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), he shared with Arab News.

"The nation is currently undergoing a significant change, and its strong association with motorsport and the automotive industry is undeniable. With Lucid's presence here, we have the opportunity to enhance both road vehicle production and the realm of motorsport," he stated.

BAC Saudi Arabia has been officially inaugurated after a formal accord was endorsed between Briggs Automotive Company and Veloce Life.

Veloce Life, focused on the automotive industry in the Kingdom, has the objective of bringing together individuals who collect cars, have a passion for them, or enjoy driving, with new high-end automobiles.

The latest agreement will also enable the BAC Mono supercar to have a more prominent presence in important industry gatherings across the area.

"We are constantly on the lookout for automotive companies from different parts of the world that provide offerings not currently accessible in Saudi Arabia. Although the automotive industry is not novel, the Lucid, CEER, and PIF projects stand out due to their extensive scale and cutting-edge advancements. Our goal is to identify unique propositions that bring additional value, allowing both these projects and our audience to benefit," shared Faisal Binladin, the visionary behind Veloce Life.

As stated by BAC, venturing into Saudi Arabia signifies a significant move into a market that holds great strategic importance for the automotive company.

The founders of BAC, Neill and Ian Briggs, established the business in 2009 in Liverpool and subsequently introduced the debut of the BAC Mono in 2011.

The latest installment in their collection, the Mono R, a one-person luxury car, premiered in the Kingdom during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah in March 2023, capturing the fascination and curiosity of car lovers.

Last year, Faisal Binladin established Veloce Life with the goal of becoming the swiftest-developing center for enthusiastic automobile enthusiasts.

Binladin's love for motorsport prompted him to initiate collaboration with BAC. In his earlier professional journey, he commenced as a creator, chief executive officer, and competitor for the Saudi Falcons team, participating in a remarkable 264 races.

The collaboration took two years to materialize, experiencing delays due to COVID-19 and considerations such as financial viability, services, and those who would benefit, as stated by the Veloce Life founder.

The basis of relationships were established in Saudi Arabia during the recent Riyadh Car Show, according to Neil Briggs.

The product development director mentioned that Faisal had been a dedicated supporter and admirer of the brand for numerous years. Faisal reached out to us expressing his keenness in distributing our products in the Kingdom.

"We had a strong desire to replicate the successful approach taken by Liverpool in terms of establishing connections with the local governing body and focusing on enhancing skills, education, production networks, and advanced industrial techniques. Faisal embraced this vision wholeheartedly as it perfectly matched Saudi Arabia's ambitious plan for Vision 2030."

The founder of The Veloce Life emphasized the significance of the Saudi Ministry of Investment's involvement in the partnership: "They have shown tremendous support... they aim to amplify our prospects of triumph... they contribute significantly to our achievement."

When questioned about what sets BAC apart from other well-known competitors in the Saudi market, Ian Briggs, the design director and co-founder, expressed: "Our unique offering sets us apart; everyone else focuses on providing a means of transportation... Our vehicle is all about enjoying the act of driving, just like how you would engage in horseback riding or canoeing."

"We do not directly compete with the other major automobile manufacturers. We produce limited quantities of an exceptionally distinctive product that is specifically targeted towards what we perceive as a growing segment of leisure drivers," he further mentioned.

According to the co-founders, BAC does not view vehicles as everyday necessities, but instead, as powerful enhancers of the pleasurable aspect of driving.

They emphasized the unique advancements that distinguish their vehicles from the current options available in the Saudi market.

"Due to our intense preoccupation, one might argue, with the measurement of weight and maximizing its efficiency, we have embarked on a journey of innovation that has enabled BAC to achieve numerous groundbreaking milestones," expressed Neil Briggs.

We are the pioneering company globally that has incorporated graphene into the carbon fiber body panels of our vehicles. Graphene, an innovative material that was first identified in 2004 at the University of Manchester, has been utilized by us for the very first time.

In 2014, we embarked on a new and exciting exploration in the field of Research and Development, aiming to test and incorporate graphene into a composite material.

In essence, when it is incorporated into the composite, it boosts the structural characteristics, enabling a reduction in the number of layers required in certain instances while still maintaining the same level of performance, stiffness, and longevity.

According to him, incorporating graphene into BAC cars leads to a remarkable 22 percent reduction in weight.

Many of the innovations we create demonstrate enhanced abilities in the supply chain. This also signifies our willingness to distribute and offer our expertise and intellectual property to anyone interested in licensing it, shared the individual.

The co-founder stated that the importance of weight innovation lies in its relevance to the electric vehicle industry. By taking any measures possible to improve EV range, emissions can be reduced, consequently easing the burden on infrastructure.

“Our aim in Saudi Arabia is to replicate the successful approach we have adopted in Liverpool, which we like to call the Liverpool model. Throughout our tenure in Liverpool over the past decade, our primary focus has been on five crucial aspects: developing skills, enhancing education, strengthening the supply chain, fostering innovation, and boosting marketing efforts,” he stated.

"We aim to achieve the same objectives within our country within a comparable timeframe. Our goal is to assist in imparting knowledge and skills to upcoming entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, and marketers who aspire to inspire others with their narratives," he further mentioned.

Binladin laid out several of the objectives of the collaboration in the coming years, which encompass clearing the path for future Saudi generations to enter the automotive sector.

"From the very beginning, around 15 to 20 individuals from Saudi Arabia will be employed in the racing and automotive industry. Additionally, we will have another group of 15 to 20 individuals working on marketing, design, technological advancements, and 3D printing," he mentioned.

According to him, as the projects grow, there will also be an increase in job prospects within the Kingdom. He further mentioned that within the upcoming five years, the team size is expected to surpass 200 individuals effortlessly.

Binladin has always had a deep-seated love for automobiles and the automotive sector. He expressed his desire to establish a collaboration that would facilitate the creation of state-of-the-art research and development centers in Saudi Arabia, geared towards the advancement of novel materials such as graphene, as well as intellectual property technologies.

"We aim to harness the most advanced advancements in 3D printing and generative design to explore how these components can be effectively employed not only in developing vehicles, but also in other areas to assist Lucid and CEER in achieving lighter and more efficient cars using the available technologies," he stated.

According to the founder of Veloce Life, the collaborative efforts have resulted in advancements in technology that extend beyond just the field of motorsport. It is expected that even the energy sector will reap the rewards of these developments.

BAC distributes the cars it manufactures to 46 different nations, with 80 percent of its production being exported. Joining forces with Veloce Life, BAC Saudi Arabia will be based in Riyadh and Jeddah, serving as regional centers for their operations.

"We are delighted to be present here and uphold the enduring relationship between Britain and Saudi Arabia, which has been established for numerous years," Briggs expressed with pride.

BAC cars are up for grabs in Saudi Arabia, and the initial shipments are anticipated to be made within this year.