The electric cars industry is growing today. Many countries are putting a lot of effort in the hopes of banning and limiting diesel and gasoline cars to make way for the revolutionary electric ones.

We asked a few people if they would consider buying an electric car in Egypt. One of our interviewees said he wouldn’t likely buy one because it could be unreliable. Also due to his lack of experience with electric cars.  Another one said “Yes, why not. Most of the time I am commuting in the city. I live only 10 km away from my work. So this option will be a lot more cost-efficient”. There were others who wanted to be more informed about the topic before considering the purchase of an electric vehicle. After further investigation, we realized that if the car is introduced by a trusted manufacturer, people are more likely to buy it.

So what are the factors affecting the Egyptian market’s decision making?

• The lack of experience with those cars is one of the main factors. However, this point is also a critical issue for many in the global market.

• Lack of choice, there is still no wide range of electric vehicles to choose from. Unlike the conventional ones.

• Fuel costs consideration, since the last cutting fuel subsidies in June 2018 in Egypt. Worrying about fuel consumption increased. Some might think of electric vehicles as a convenient alternative regarding this aspect.

• The environmental aspect is one of the most important factors. Which is the main reason why all of the developed countries are switching to electric vehicles.

So is it true that electric cars will be available in the Egyptian market soon? Do we have the infrastructure for it and how much do these electric Vehicles really cost?

Infrastructure for electric vehicles is still a fresh topic. One station was installed in February 2018 in Cairo-Suez highway Wataniya gas station near the planned new administrative capital. However, there are ambitious plans to install more stations.

Electric Cars in Egypt

According to China daily an Egyptian company called Darshel, which acts as an agent for two Chinese companies, will invest 53$ million in an electric car program in Egypt. The company is planning to establish an electric car assembly plant for Chinese cars. Their idea is to start by producing around 500 to 1000 cars to test the market.

Revolta is also an Egyptian company, which implemented the first electric vehicle station in Egypt. The company is planning to cover 7 governorates with 65 charging stations during the first phase of the project. Revolta is introducing the famous Tesla electric cars to the market. Ranging from 1,090,000 EGP for Model 3 till 3,690,000 EGP for Model X XP100D. According to “Egypttoday”, Minister of trade Tarek Kabil issued a decree that permits importing used electric cars not older than three years. Despite importing used conventional cars is prohibited, electric ones got a special decree. Accordingly, Revolta will be also selling used-electric vehicles. Which start from about 350,000 EGP for well-known brands in the Egyptian market such as Volkswagen and Kia.

Jiayuan Electric Vehicles, a Chinese company that already launched a car in the Egyptian market. However, it is a tiny electric car, available in two models. One with 2 seats and the other with 4 seats with a maximum speed of 50 km/h or 80 km/h. prices range from 114,800 EGP to 169,900 EGP.

We expect that during the next years several other options will available and the factors affecting the users’ choices will be tackled. if the government is serious in switching to green transportation. Tell us on social media what do you think. Would you consider buying an electric car and why?