Nigerian Journal Sustainability Research

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Unveils "Tsion" Electric Vehicle Lineup, Sparking Widespread Debate

2026-08-22
Christ Embassy Enters the Automotive Industry

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, founder and president of Christ Embassy (also known as Believers' Loveworld), unveiled a new line of electric vehicles under the brand name "Tsion" during The New Economy Unveiling 2026 (NEU 2026), a conference event held as part of the church's economic and innovation-focused programming. Videos of the unveiling spread rapidly across social media following the event on Wednesday, August 19, drawing widespread attention and reaction from Nigerians online.

The Vehicle Lineup

Several models were showcased during the presentation, spanning a range from luxury SUVs to performance sports cars:

  • Tsion Passion — presented as an electric SUV with a modern dashboard and sleek exterior. Pastor Chris noted during the presentation that some changes were still being made to its steering design.
  • Tsion Falcon — a red performance sports car built with speed and track driving in mind.
  • Vision Series, including a Vision Coupé — additional models rounding out the luxury and sports lineup.
  • OG Series — Pastor Chris personally explained that "OG" stands for "Of God."

Introducing the showcase, he told the audience, "Can we show them the cars? Okay. Let's just show you the cars," before footage played showing the vehicles' interiors, exteriors, and what appeared to be a dedicated manufacturing facility.

What's Still Unknown

Despite the polished presentation, several key details about the vehicles remain undisclosed. Information on battery capacity, driving range, charging systems, exact production location, pricing, and an official commercial launch date has not yet been released. The vehicles are being positioned as ready for market, but the gap between the unveiling and any confirmed rollout timeline remains unclear.

The Bezos and Musk Comments That Fueled the Controversy

Beyond the vehicles themselves, Pastor Chris drew significant additional attention, and considerable controversy, when he publicly credited Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk as key figures who helped make the Tsion project possible. "You know when we got started on the Wall Street thing, Jeff Bezos was very helpful," he said during his address, adding, "Elon Musk, so amazing. Thank you so much. Thank you for what you did, your personal attention." Neither Bezos nor Musk has publicly responded to or confirmed these remarks, and no independent details have emerged clarifying the nature or extent of any actual involvement they may have had.

A Divided Public Reaction

The unveiling, and particularly the Bezos/Musk comments, split opinion sharply online. Supporters framed the venture as a genuine step toward local manufacturing, job creation, and industrial innovation, with one commentator involved in the initiative saying, "We are not just preaching the gospel," positioning it as evidence the church can actively participate in the broader marketplace.

Critics, however, raised pointed questions about the optics of a religious ministry moving into luxury automobile manufacturing. One widely shared reaction read: "I don't even know how I feel about this. When did the gospel get so commercialised to this extent? And this is coming from someone who was a founding member at the start of Christ Embassy. Quite sad." Others drew attention to a perceived inconsistency, noting that some members of the congregation had reportedly been discouraged from making long-term financial investments in the past based on teachings about the imminence of Christ's return, prompting one user to ask, "Is this not the same pastor whose members have refused financial investments because they were told that, Jesus is coming more than soonest?" Still others pushed back on the criticism itself, noting a pattern where the church faces criticism regardless of its choices, pointing out that when it built auditoriums, people asked about factories, and now that it's building what it frames as industry, people are calling it a misplaced priority.

What Comes Next

For now, the Tsion brand exists as a public unveiling rather than a confirmed commercial product, with manufacturing capacity, pricing, availability, and rollout timeline all still undetermined. Given the scale of public attention the launch has already generated, both supporters and skeptics appear to be watching closely to see whether the Tsion lineup progresses from concept presentation to an actual, purchasable product on Nigerian roads.

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