KUWAIT: Catchingup with the rest of the world, Kuwait is gearing towards encouraging the use ofzero-emission vehicles and setting regulations for such machines. In line witha global trend to better the environment, Kuwait has set itself to introduceelectrical vehicles to the market next year, as well as devising rules andregulations to obtain such machines and also how to use them on the open road.
Mohammad Al-Naibari,a spokesman for the Dodge's dealership in Kuwait, said that the idea ofintroducing zero-emission vehicles was a bit of a hassle at the beginning;however, the dealership pressed on forward trying to secure the rights to sellelectrical vehicles in Kuwait. The idea includes cars and motorcycles, whichlook identical to their fuel-consuming counterparts, but are completelyenvironmental friendly, said Naibari, adding that the dealership was not onlyresponsible for selling the commodity, it also provided recharging points inpublic and private locations.
There are severaltypes of such vehicles including hybrid semi-electric and fully-electricalvehicles, he explained. The demand for such machines is on the rise, claimedNaibari, adding that according to a survey prepared by the dealership in 2018,60 percent of clients were willing to buy zero-emission vehicles, while 90percent were willing to make a purchase if the government laid theinfrastructure and encouraged people to go electrical.
Despite someindividualistic efforts to import electrical cars, Kuwait is a bit far fromfully going zero-emission friendly due to several aspects including the lowerfuel prices compared with other countries and the lack of basic infrastructureto host electrical vehicle such as power recharging stations and actualregulations. Another challenge would be changing the mindset of local clientelewho got used to regular fuel consuming vehicles; however, this will not deterprivate companies and local dealerships from promoting zero-emission vehicles.While the private sector is endorsing zero-emission vehicles, the government iscarrying out similar steps to encourage the usage of electrical cars,motorbikes and so on.
The EnvironmentPublic Authority (EPA), the Ministry of Water and Electricity, and the PublicAuthority for Industry (PAI) are all working on measures to promotezero-emission vehicles in line with the State of Kuwait's keenness to join theefforts to curb the effects of climate change. The Ministry of Electricity andWater in specific will construct recharge stations within its headquarters toserve the five percent of zero-emission vehicles it plans to purchase. The EPAand the PAI will join the fight for the environment and will coordinate effortsto encourage state bodies to choose electrical vehicles especially with thefact that Kuwait had recorded high temperatures this summer, a sign thatclimate change is on the rise. - KUNA