The total number of electric vehicles in Egypt does not exceed 14,000 (Al Jazeera)

Four years ago, accountant Mohamed Gamal dreamed of owning an Egyptian-made electric vehicle because the government announced a collaboration with a Chinese company to produce the first locally made electric car by Nasser Motors. Gamal was confident and postponed his plans to buy other cars, sticking to his national dream.

But this dream did not materialize. Gamal told Al Jazeera that the project encountered obstacles, and the car never launched, with officials remaining silent about its fate. Now, with the price of cars having increased fourfold, he feels confused and angry. In the context of an economic crisis and lack of commitment to local alternatives, owning a car has become "almost impossible" for him.

Although interest in electric vehicles is growing in Egypt, these data reflect limited realities. Currently, the number of registered electric vehicles in Egypt does not exceed 14,000, and sales in 2024 do not exceed 6,000 units.

Global Acceleration, Local Slowdown

According to the "Global Electric Vehicle Outlook 2025" report published by the International Energy Agency and reported by the Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center, global electric vehicle sales reached approximately 17.3 million units by 2024.

The number of charging stations nationwide does not exceed 450 (Al Jazeera)

In 2024, the number of electric vehicle license plates in Egypt increased by 91.4%, reaching about 6,150 vehicles, compared to around 3,212 in 2023. Despite ongoing challenges such as weak infrastructure and lack of effective government support, this rapid growth reflects increasing demand for eco-friendly vehicles.

Charging Stations and Charging Standards Obstacles

However, this momentum has not been smooth. In May, the Electricity Regulatory Authority decided to cancel the Chinese GB/T charging protocol used in fast charging stations, switching completely to the European CCS2 protocol, which disrupted the pace of the emerging market.

Despite the Egyptian government announcing a plan three years ago to establish 3,000 dual-port charging stations, totaling 6,000 charging points, within 18 months, according to local reports, the implementation progress has been slow, and currently there are fewer than 450 charging stations nationwide.

The cabinet report states that by the end of 2024, the global electric vehicle stock will reach 58 million, accounting for about 4% of all passenger vehicles. In Africa, despite infrastructure and technological challenges, electric vehicle sales have seen significant growth, driven by Egypt and Morocco. However, it remains a bottleneck.

The First Domestic Electric Vehicle Project Is Stalled

In June 2021, the government announced a plan to produce the first domestic electric vehicle, a collaboration between the state-owned Nasser Motors and the Chinese Dongfeng Company, named "Nasser E70," originally scheduled to start production in mid-2022.

The domestic electric vehicle project "Nasser E70" has been stalled since 2021 (Al Jazeera)

But as of mid-2025, the project has still not started, with frequent delays and unclear reasons, raising doubts about whether Egypt can enter the electric vehicle manufacturing industry, especially given insufficient infrastructure and weak technical expertise.

The initial announcement stated that the E70's price was expected to range from 290,000 to 400,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $20,000 to $26,000 at the time), offering three different versions with varying battery capacities and ranges. But none of these promises have been fulfilled.

Reality and Challenges

Tony Latif, a member of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce's Clean Energy Vehicle Committee, pointed out that the main challenges to the popularization of electric vehicles in Egypt include:

  • Insufficient number of charging stations;
  • Weakened infrastructure;
  • Lack of government support for consumers.

He added that although there have been some improvements over the past two years, the country has provided some business incentives and started operating local electric vehicle factories. However, the reason for the delayed launch of domestic models is that the final pricing has not yet been determined, and production costs remain high, making it difficult to compete in the market.

Latif also mentioned that the country is pushing for the localization of battery production, as batteries account for more than 60% of the car's cost, which will help reduce prices and promote market development.

The regulation introduced in 2021 prohibiting the import of used electric vehicles has hindered its popularity (Al Jazeera)

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly revealed that Egypt has developed a clear automotive industry plan, particularly for electric vehicles, and is attracting two to three major international manufacturers, focusing on the battery production sector.

Latif called on the government to support consumers in purchasing electric vehicles through the introduction of affordable models, the establishment of authorized service centers, and the provision of loan incentives. Some banks have already started offering installment payment schemes to encourage usage.

Tariffs and Institutional Challenges

Montaser Zaitoun, a member of the Automotive Division of the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce, said the biggest obstacle is the lack of infrastructure, especially the scarcity of charging stations, which makes relying on electric vehicles difficult.

He added that the domestic production project also faces issues such as high tariffs on imported parts, which must be resolved to drive industrial development. Zaitoun pointed out that the 2021 decision by the Ministry of Trade to ban the import of used electric vehicles, combined with the failure of the domestic project to materialize, caused the market to regress by several years.

He emphasized that although some companies and service centers have begun to actively import and maintain electric vehicles, the development of the Egyptian electric vehicle market is still far behind the global level and requires more government support, including road and registration fee reductions, unified charging standards, and a comprehensive legal framework.

Sources: Al Jazeera

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