Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called on Monday for exerting more efforts to promote the local production of electric vehicles, including public buses, the presidency said in a statement.
In a meeting with director of the Armed Forces Department of Motor Vehicles Kamel Wafai and MCV board chairman Karim Ghabour, El-Sisi ordered that these efforts be carried out in cooperation between the Ministry of Military Production and the private sector, following world-class standards of quality.
El-Sisi instructed the concerned authorities to enhance cooperation with highly-experienced state and privately-owned bodies to expand the use of natural gas vehicles (NGVs).
El-Sisi also emphasized the need to continue improving relevant infrastructure, including fuel stations and maintenance workshops.
The meeting also discussed the state's collaboration with the private sector to manufacture heavy-duty trucks that run on alternative fuels, especially natural gas and electricity, given their economic and environmental benefits.
Last year, Egypt announced plans to locally produce electric vehicles in cooperation with China.
In press remarks last July, Public Enterprise Minister Hisham Tawfik said the country plans to produce 25,000 electric cars annually, manufactured by Egypt’s El-Nasr Automotive Manufacturing Co., in cooperation with China’s state-owned automobile manufacturer Dongfeng.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
