MUSCAT: There are 650 registered electric vehicles in the country, according to estimates, which are catered to by over 100 charging stations, according to a company that has been working on such projects.
Ziad Helou, CEO of Electric Vehicles One LLC, said that these figures are not official but it is expected to only double in the future.
Last year, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) indicated around 350 to 400 electric vehicles operate on the roads of the Sultanate of Oman.
Speaking to the Observer during the Oman Sustainability Week, Helou said, "We own and operate EV charging stations in Oman and all these chargers are connected via a mobile application. There are around 250 who have registered in our application itself.
He sees great potential for the growth of the EV market in the Sultanate due to the special emphasis from the government.
"Previously, there were not many options available for interested buyers. New brands are now coming at reasonable prices into the market and people do not have to depend only on a brand like Tesla."
Earlier, an EV brand would cost around RO30,000 but today it is much cheaper with prices starting from RO12-15000, according to industry sources.
EVO chargers are located from the UAE border up down to Salalah, which means nearly 85 percent of the corridors have EV chargers, which will go up to 98 percent in the future with new installations.
An AC charger will typically take 15 to 20 minutes to charge a vehicle from 20 to 80 per cent. Depending on the type of the vehicle, on a full charge, it can travel up to 300, 400, or even 500 km.
"if you're driving on the highway you get lower range. So some vehicles will travel up to 600km, but only on the city roads. In general, all EVs, when you drive them on the highway, are less efficient than in the city because they have regenerative charge." It may be noted that the Chinese brand BYD will return to the Oman market with only electric vehicles in June.
The first "Made in Oman' electric SUV (Mays) is expected to roll out from the production line in Duqm in the last financial quarter on a 'first-ordered' basis.
The company said that it has around 1,400 preorders, including 350 from within the Sultanate of Oman. The SUV will be able to cover a distance of around 500 on a single charge and fast charging can be done from anywhere, including at home.
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