Cairo: Saudi Arabia has launched the rental of the first 10 electric vehicles in the kingdom, in a step aimed at protecting the environment and boost clean energy use.
The launch ceremony for the Lucid vehicles was sponsored by the Transport General Authority as one in a series of innovative solutions supporting environmental sustainability and improving life quality as well as encouraging the use of electric vehicles as an environment-friendly option. The cars will join the fleet of Theeb Rent A Car based in Riyadh.
The step heralds a new era for rent-a-car offices, TGA tweeted.
The electric vehicle giant Lucid Motors aims to manufacture 150,000 electric cars annually in Saudi Arabia by 2027, according to Saudi officials.
The kingdom’s transport and logistics services strategy aims to raise the use of electric cars to 25 per cent by the year 2030.
Saudi Arabia plans to produce 500,000 electric cars annually by 2030, the kingdom’s Investment Minister Khaled Al Faleh said earlier this year.
“There will be a big hub for electrical industries in Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Last November, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman announced the launch of Ceer, the first Saudi electric vehicle brand.
The launch came in line with the strategy of the Saudi Public Investment Fund ( PIF), headed by the crown prince, to focus on locally unlocking potential of promising sectors that can help drive diversification of the kingdom’s economy.
On launching Ceer, Prince Mohammed said: “Saudi Arabia is not just building a new automotive brand. We are igniting a new industry and an ecosystem that attracts international and local investments, creates job opportunities for local talents, enables the private sector, and contributes to increasing Saudi Arabia’s GDP over the next decade.”
