The competition will come to the car market - President said there will be a discount on the purchase of an electric car

To create competition in the automobile market of Uzbekistan it is necessary to develop the production of electric vehicles.  President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said this yesterday 10 October, at the presentation of projects aimed at the development of the electric vehicle network and increasing service coverage.

In the presentation, the heads of the joint-stock company «Uzavtosanoat» presented information about the agreements reached with foreign companies in this regard, and models that are supposed to be adopted.  Issues of start-up of production of electric vehicles, expansion of the network of charging stations, and localization of components were discussed.

"Electric cars are rapidly entering our daily lives.  Imports are rising. Why? Because there is demand.  The cost of such machines is low, the main thing is that our people like it.  Therefore, we need to deliver modern electric vehicles to our people», - says Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

It should be noted that the cost of an electric car is 10 times less than a normal car, and the damage to nature is 3 times less.  The use of such vehicles is increasing in developed countries. Of course, this requires a large infrastructure.

For example, for every 20 electric vehicles in the world, there is one charging station. There are only 50 such places in Uzbekistan, mainly located in the cities of Tashkent and Samarkand. There are no service centers for electric vehicles.

"In every decision, we should look at decades, not one year.  We need to develop this network now, environmentally, looking ahead.  The sooner we do that, the more competition there will be in the car market.  Other electric car companies will come", - says the President.

Therefore, it was stressed that a joint venture with a foreign company with experience in this field should be established and the production of popular electric vehicles should be started.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that the price of electric vehicles should be low.  This depends on the degree of localization of the components.

For example, 30 percent of the cost of an electric car is battery and 10 percent is wiring.  It has been shown that such parts can be easily produced in the country using lithium, copper, and graphite reserves in Uzbekistan.

It was also determined that part of the interest on the loan received for the purchase of the local electric vehicle would be reimbursed.

Today, 20 electric buses run in Tashkent.  Next year it is planned to bring 200 more electric buses to the capital and 100 to Samarkand.  It was noted that such transport needed to be extended to other cities.

The expansion of the service network of electric vehicles was also addressed.  In the next two years, a target of 2,000 charging stations was set.  Land, property, and profit tax incentives are also applied to these stations.  Entrepreneurs have the right to sell electricity at a free price through charging stations.

The importance of training in this area was also stressed.  It was said that a scientific laboratory on electric vehicles will be established at the Turin Polytechnic University, and professors and specialists will be sent to study in China, Germany, the USA, and Korea.