- Title: Egyptian turns his gas-powered 1985 Fiat into an electric-powered car
- Date: 16th October 2022
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (OCTOBER 12, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EGYPTIAN TEACHER, ALI AL-SAEED, WHO TURNED HIS GAS-POWERED OLD FIAT-127 INTO AN ELECTRIC ONE, CHARGING CAR WHILE LOOKING THROUGH MOBILE PHONE CABLE PLUGGED IN TO CHARGER SAEED CHECKING ON CAR SIGN ON CAR READING (Arabic): "CAR IS POWERED BY ELECTRICITY" VARIOUS OF SAEED CHECKING CAR BATTERY VARIOUS OF SAEED CLOSING CAR'S HOOD AND GETTING INTO CAR VARIOUS OF SAEED DRIVING CAR IN CAIRO'S STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN TEACHER, ALI AL-SAEED, SAYING: "(There is) is a difference in the cost (of an electric car compared to gas-powered one) for sure. When I use fuel, it (is enough) for three or four days, (with electric car) I can stay up to one week without charging the car. I use it for small errands and I don't need to charge it very often. I don't hear any (noisy) sounds, it is comfortable to drive and the problems I face are few, in contrary to a gas-powered one, it has many problems." SAEED DRIVING CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN TEACHER, ALI AL-SAEED, SAYING: "This car cost me 60,000 Egyptian pounds (nearly $3,000) (to be turned to an electric one). It moves for 100 kilometres on speed 70. It takes two hours to charge." SAEED DRIVING CAR VARIOUS OF CAR BATTERY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN TEACHER, ALI AL-SAEED, SAYING: "The electric car is environment-friendly, it does not cause pollution. In contrary to gas-powered ones, they burn (a lot of fuel) and its smoke is polluting and impacting air." SAEED DRIVING CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN TEACHER, ALI AL-SAEED, SAYING: "I used to fill my car every two days with fuel for a certain amount of money, not a lot in the beginning. With increasing prices, the price of fuel needed for just two days has doubled. It was problematic for me because I use it a lot, I love to travel. It was hectic. Therefore, I started thinking of an alternative, to make an electric car that would benefit me and allow me to travel for longer commutes in the future, for 200 or 300 kilometres." SAEED DRIVING CAR
- Embargoed: 30th October 2022 10:27
- Keywords: CARS EGYPT ELECTRIC CAR FUEL FUEL PRICES
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- City: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Environment,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001257716102022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: This Egyptian teacher may not be driving the latest Model Y Tesla, but instead he's turned his 1985 Fiat-127 gas-powered car into an electric one, to save on rising fuel prices and resort to a more environment-friendly mode of transportation.
The 51-year-old teacher, Ali al-Saeed, bought a used Fiat-127 a year and a half ago for only 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($510), but couldn't afford the rising cost of fuel for long.
The electric battery cost him nearly six times the car's original price, but Saeed believes it was a worthy investment.
"I used to fill my car every two days with fuel for a certain amount of money, not a lot in the beginning. With increasing prices, the price of fuel needed for two days has doubled. It was problematic for me because I use it a lot, I love to travel. It was hectic," he said.
Now it only costs him 10 Egyptian pounds ($0.5) to power the car's battery for 100 kilometres. He charges his car once a week.
Over the past few years, Egypt has phased out subsidies on most fuel products as part of an IMF-backed economic reform programme. In July, Egypt further raised domestic fuel prices by 0.50 Egyptian pounds for 80-octane and 92-octane petrol, adding more pressure on inflation.
(Production; Ahmed Fahmy, Mai Shams El-Din) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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