Car experts expect an increase in the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Egypt during the coming period, supported by the potential high demand for this type of cars after the government’s decision to allow permanent registration of EVs in the local market.
Ahmed Zein, CEO of ZE Tech for EV charging infrastructure, said that the decision came after long negotiations with the government regarding licensing EVs.
He emphasised that the state moves now towards green economy and sustainable development.
Electric cars are more economical than those running on fossil fuel, saving up to 60% of expenses.
The number of electric cars in Egypt does not exceed 800 units, but a boom is expected in the EV market after the licensing decision was issued. The number of EV charging stations is about 130 distributed in 7 governorates.
Zein said that his company owns and operates 30 fast charging points, in addition to 50 medium charging points, which will be distributed inside Greater Cairo during the first quarter (Q1) of 2021.
He added that his company contracted with a group of international EV charging infrastructure companies to be its exclusive distributor in Egypt, noting that ZE Tech aims to establish 1,000 EV charging stations by the end of 2022.
ZE Tech launched the first ridesharing application for electric cars only during its participation in the Cairo International Exhibition for Information and Communication Technology (Cairo ICT 2020), which was held last month.
Moreover, car expert Hussein Mostafa said that the decision to grant permanent registration for electric cars will finally solve the problem of hundreds of EV owners who were forced to renew their temporary licenses every month.
He said that the decision came as a prelude to the government’s plan to localise EV manufacturing, which will be initially produced by the El Nasr Car Factory, by the end of next year.
Mostafa stressed that this decision must be supported by the establishment of many electric vehicle charging stations, and encouraging the import of EVs in a more organised manner through agents to ensure the provision of after-sales services, and to spread the culture of electric cars among consumers in Egypt.
The automotive expert noted that the number of charging stations available at the present time is not enough, however; the expansion in EV charging stations depends on the volume of demand and sales.
