Exhibition familiarises visitors with electric vehicles, raises awareness

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) held Saturday the Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Exhibition at Katara – the Cultural Village with the participation of a number of Qatari electric vehicle (EV) owners.Sheikh Dr Saood bin Khalifa al-Thani, director of Green Development and Environmental Sustainability at the MoECC, said that the ministry organised the exhibition to raise public awareness on the importance of reducing harmful carbon emissions and encourage people to own and use electric vehicles, as they are more environment-friendly.He said that there is a Committee for the Incentives of Electric Vehicles, which include members from entities and ministries such as the Ministry of Transport and Communication, the Ministry of Municipality, the Ministry of Interior, the MoECC, and the Qatar General Water and Electricity Corporation (Kahramaa).This committee aims to encourage people to use EVs and explore ways to help the further spread of these vehicles in the country.Sheikh Dr Saood noted that the electric vehicles on display, which amount to more than 30 different vehicles from various manufacturers and brands, are all owned by the participants at the exhibition.He said that all of them welcomed the initiative, when approached to take part, and expressed their readiness to show their vehicles at this public event.Due to the success of this one-day event, the official said that there will be more of such exhibitions at various key locations such as Msheireb.He further said that the MoECC uses a considerable number of electric vehicles in its fleet, with plans to introduce more such vehicles, especially those used for the daily environmental inspection operations.Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali al-Thani, expert in cybersecurity and EVs, said that the event was a good opportunity for visitors to exchange views and reviews on the issue of electric vehicles with the owners of the different vehicles on display.He said that the Qatar market has a good potential for expansion in the use of EVs, especially given that the state has exerted great efforts in expanding the necessary infrastructure for this, with charging stations across the country.Tesla car owner Salem Mohamed said that he was happy to take part at this exhibition with his own vehicle to help increase people's awareness about the advantages and benefits of using electric cars.He said that he has been using this vehicle for a considerable time and that it has been a very positive experience for him.Visitor Hamad al-Sayyid said that he has already ordered a Tesla, with delivery expected soon.He said that exhibition was a very good opportunity to talk directly to owners of similar cars and hear from them about their experience on related issues.