NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

It’s no secret that air quality in the bustling metropolis of Mexico City leaves much to be desired, but three local entrepreneurs are looking to change that image. The founders of Vehizero are taking on one of the world’s greatest environmental challenges one car at a time with sleek new fleets of hybrid vehicles that are in some ways better engineered than current models in the US. The young enterprise just released its first line in February, but sales have jumped so quickly they actually had to tone down their marketing campaign. Not a bad problem to have; but not to worry, Vehizero is rapidly expanding its production to keep up with demand, and fueled by investments from groups such as E+Co and Conacyt, the team is working on designing new autos for household use.

In a recent interview with New Ventures, co-founder Sean O’Hea goes in-depth on the next generation of transport technology, Mexico’s changing investment environment, and why a broken down car changed his life. Vehizero may not be able to solve all of Mexico City’s traffic issues, but with sales of its hybrid vehicles booming, at least drivers will finally get a breath of fresh air.