Electric vehicles are designed for efficiency, not endurance. In the Gulf, that assumption breaks down quickly.

When summer temperatures exceed 45°C and parked vehicles absorb direct solar load for hours, heat becomes the primary engineering constraint, not range or charging speed. For lithium-ion batteries, prolonged exposure to these conditions is not a marginal concern. It directly affects safety, degradation rates, and system reliability.

As the GCC accelerates its shift toward electric mobility, regulators and manufacturers are confronting a reality that temperate-market standards do not fully address. Vehicles built to comply with European or North American norms are not automatically fit for desert operation. This gap has pushed Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman to formalize a stricter technical baseline that treats extreme heat as a design input rather than an edge case.

The result is a regulatory and engineering framework that is beginning to influence global expectations for electric vehicle durability. Through mandatory thermal management requirements, chemistry preferences, and post-market testing regimes, the GCC is moving beyond adoption into specification. What is emerging is not a regional workaround, but a repeatable model for electric mobility in extreme climates.

Heat as the Defining Constraint for EV Adoption in the GCC

In most global EV markets, engineering trade-offs revolve around cost, charging speed, and driving range. In the Gulf, ambient temperature overrides all three. Vehicles routinely operate in environments that exceed the thermal limits assumed during initial battery design and validation.

High heat accelerates chemical degradation inside lithium-ion cells, increases internal resistance, and raises the risk of thermal instability during charging. It also forces auxiliary systems, particularly cooling and air conditioning, to draw significant power. In practical terms, this means that an EV optimized for European conditions may suffer faster capacity loss, reduced usable range, and higher maintenance risk when deployed in the GCC.

This makes heat resilience a prerequisite for market viability rather than a premium feature. Without regulatory intervention, the risk is uneven product quality, safety incidents, and loss of consumer confidence during early adoption phases.

The Regulatory Reset: Why GSO 2698:2022 Exists

To address this structural mismatch, the Gulf Standardization Organization introduced GSO 2698:2022, titled Technical Requirements for Electric Vehicles. The regulation applies to all battery electric vehicles with top speeds exceeding 25 km/h that are manufactured or imported into GCC markets.

While the standard references international frameworks such as UNECE R100 and US FMVSS 305, it extends beyond them in critical areas. The most significant distinction is the mandatory requirement for active thermal management systems capable of regulating battery temperature even when the vehicle is stationary and exposed to direct sunlight.

This requirement reflects a local operating reality. In the Gulf, vehicles spend long periods parked outdoors, absorbing solar radiation that can push internal battery temperatures beyond safe thresholds without any driving load. By mandating active cooling under these conditions, the regulation closes a gap that global standards often leave unaddressed.

In effect, GSO 2698:2022 reframes battery thermal control as a safety system, not an efficiency feature.

Battery Survival in Extreme Heat: Engineering Trade-offs

Lithium-ion batteries operate most efficiently between 15°C and 35°C. Above this range, chemical reactions inside the cell accelerate, leading to electrolyte breakdown, gas formation, and irreversible capacity loss. In the GCC, these conditions are routine rather than exceptional.

Field data shows that at ambient temperatures around 37°C, EVs can experience range reductions of 17 to 18 percent. This loss is driven largely by energy consumed by the battery thermal management system and cabin cooling. In more extreme cases, such as Riyadh summers where temperatures reach 47°C, cooling systems may operate continuously, consuming up to 20 percent of available battery power to maintain safe operating limits.

These conditions force difficult design trade-offs. Engineers must balance cooling effectiveness, energy consumption, system complexity, and long-term reliability, all while maintaining acceptable cost structures.

How GCC Specifications Are Reshaping EV Design Choices

One clear outcome of GCC regulation is the decline of passive air-cooled battery systems. While adequate in mild climates and lower-cost models, air cooling struggles to manage high thermal loads during fast charging or sustained high-temperature exposure.

As a result, liquid cooling systems are becoming the baseline for GCC-market EVs. These systems circulate coolant directly around battery modules and power electronics, offering superior heat transfer and more precise temperature control. While more complex and expensive, they are far better suited to desert operating conditions.

Battery chemistry choices are also shifting. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are increasingly favored over Nickel Manganese Cobalt variants due to their higher thermal stability and lower risk of fire under heat stress. Although LFP batteries have lower energy density, their durability in high-temperature environments makes them more predictable over long service lives.

At the research level, regional institutions and suppliers are exploring advanced coolants enhanced with nanomaterials such as graphene or carbon nanotubes. These additives aim to improve heat absorption and dissipation efficiency, reducing the energy penalty associated with thermal control.

From Compliance to Competitive Advantage: The Ceer Case

Local manufacturing plays a critical role in accelerating climate-specific innovation. Ceer Motors, Saudi Arabia’s first domestic electric vehicle brand, provides a clear example of how regulatory pressure can translate into design differentiation.

One of Ceer’s most notable developments is its collaboration with Isoclima to produce the largest automotive windshield currently used in production EVs. The glass incorporates a three-layer infrared-reflective coating approximately 250 nanometers thick.

This coating reflects infrared radiation before it enters the cabin, reducing interior heat buildup and limiting the so-called oven effect common in parked vehicles. By lowering cabin temperatures, the system reduces the workload on the high-voltage air conditioning compressor, which in turn preserves usable driving range and reduces strain on the battery.

The windshield also improves acoustic insulation, an important consideration in EVs where the absence of engine noise makes external sounds more noticeable. This illustrates a broader design principle emerging in the region. Managing heat at the system level reduces downstream stress on batteries, cooling systems, and power electronics.

Enforcement After Sale: The Shift to Lifecycle Regulation

By 2025, GCC regulators moved beyond production standards to enforce ongoing compliance through mandatory annual EV inspections. These inspections recognize that extreme climates do not only affect new vehicles but also accelerate wear over time.

One requirement is a charging stability test involving a continuous three-minute, 60 kW DC charge while inspectors monitor temperature rise and individual cell balance. This test is designed to identify early signs of thermal imbalance that could escalate under repeated fast-charging cycles.

Temperature limits during charging are now explicitly defined. Ternary lithium batteries must not exceed 60°C, while LFP batteries are capped at 65°C. Isolation resistance between high-voltage systems and the vehicle chassis must meet strict thresholds to prevent leakage risks in humid or sandy environments.

These measures shift regulation from a point-of-sale event to a lifecycle responsibility, reinforcing long-term safety and reliability.

The Global Implication: Exporting Desert-Proven Standards

While these standards are tailored to the Gulf, their relevance extends far beyond the region. Many high-growth EV markets across Southeast Asia, Africa, and parts of Latin America face rising temperatures, high humidity, and limited shaded parking infrastructure.

As climate conditions converge, the engineering solutions developed in the GCC offer a tested reference for durability under thermal stress. Manufacturers that meet Gulf standards may find themselves better positioned for deployment in other extreme-climate regions.

Over time, desert-proven specifications could influence global regulatory baselines, particularly as heat-related battery incidents attract greater scrutiny.

Conclusion: Engineering for the Climate That Is Coming

The GCC’s approach to electric vehicle regulation is not restrictive by accident. It reflects a clear understanding that climate conditions shape technology outcomes. By mandating active thermal management, encouraging heat-stable chemistries, and enforcing lifecycle testing, the region is defining what durability means in a warming world.

Rather than adapting vehicles after the fact, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman are embedding environmental reality into engineering standards. As global temperatures rise, the lessons learned in the Gulf may prove less exceptional than prescient.

In that context, designing for the harshest environments is no longer a niche strategy. It is preparation for the future of electric mobility.