It looks like more and more countries are embracing the adoption of electric cars going forward.
As per a recent survey commissioned by General Motors, a majority of motorists in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are ready for EVs. Electric cars are looking more and more convincing as a solution to tackle the issue of vehicular pollution. On the other side, the prices of petrol and diesel are on a constant rise, particularly in the last couple of years. That is forcing the existing car owners to look elsewhere to bring the running costs of their vehicles down. Even though the initial prices of EVs are high, most people are able to grasp the effect on runnings costs over a long ownership period of an EV.
You may also like: Tesla Asks Canadians to Buy Chinese Model 3 and Model Y
UAE and Saudi Arabia Ready For EVs
As a part of this survey, 500 people in the UAE and 1,000 people in Saudi Arabia were asked questions regarding the awareness around electric cars to analyse the general awareness around the topic. Surprisingly, 70% of people in the UAE and 63% of people in Saudi Arabia in this group of people said that they are considering buying an electric car. In fact, long-term affordability was the main reason that got 73% of drivers in the UAE and 69% in Saudi Arabia interested in EVs. Also, environmental concerns were another key reason why they wanted to switch to electric vehicles.
You may also like: Black Workers Accuse Tesla of Rampant Racism
Needless to say, the rising fuel prices in the last few years have impacted a vast majority of people around the globe. Hence, they are looking for more cost-effective ways to own a car and electric vehicles are emerging as that solution, at least when considering from a long term perspective. Jack Uppal, President and MG at General Motors Africa & Middle East said, “We will deliver on our commitment to offer an electric vehicle for every wallet and every customer and driving this change towards a vision of future mobility across electrification, autonomy and connectivity.”
You may also like: After Ford, GM Agrees To A Deal To Adopt Tesla Charging System
You may also like: How to Choose the Best Tires for Your Tesla Model X
What We Think
In all fairness, this doesn’t come as a surprise to us as we keep a close eye on the latest developments in the EV space around the world. The general trend is to adopt EVs. Sure, there are some key challenges with that including the high initial costs and the utter lack of charging infrastructure in most parts of the world resulting in the inception of range anxiety. But the governments and carmakers are doing their bit to ensure that a rapid infrastructure is developed quickly to support EVs. Naturally, such tasks can’t be completed overnight. Hence, we will have to wait a bit until adequate amenities around EVs are developed. But if you are living in a city with charging stations around, it might not be a bad idea to own some urban compact EV to get yourself acquainted with the whole idea.