Tunis/Tunisia — The first photovoltaic charging station for electric cars was inaugurated on Friday at the seat of the National Agency for Energy Management (ANME).
This project, which includes a photovoltaic station with a capacity of 3 kWp, storage batteries and a 22 kW recharging point, will be used to recharge ANME's electric car, which is used to distribute the agency's mail and transport its staff to meetings.
The station in question was commissioned with the support of battery manufacturer ASSAD, car manufacturer BYD, a 100% Tunisian photovoltaic panel manufacturer, Alphanis, and solar panel installer SUN SOLUTION.
Speaking at a press conference held on Friday, ANME Director General Fethi Hanchi said the project aims to show how solar energy could be used to guarantee 100% green transport.
A promotional campaign will be launched to encourage the use of this solution by public and private companies with a fleet of cars for professional use, he indicated, specifying that the ANME will support these companies so that they can acquire electric cars and equip their fleets with solar shading systems.
Towards doubling the number of recharging points and identifying pricing models
There are currently nearly a hundred electric cars on the road in Tunisia, the majority of which are imported by offshore companies, Hanchi pointed out.
"Studies have shown that one of the challenges facing the development of electric mobility is the consumer's anxiety about the availability of recharging facilities for electric cars," he added.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"Nearly 60 electric charging points have been installed throughout France. ANME plans to double this number by the end of 2024. Charging electric cars is currently free of charge," he specified.
The official further indicated that the ANME had been commissioned by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines to conduct a study on the pricing of electric charging.This study is expected to be finished early 2024.
Regarding the cost of electric cars, he said that a conventional car in the same range consumes 10 times more than an electric car, including installation (charging points and shading).
In terms of cost, users can offset the difference between these two types of cars by making energy savings.
He called in this regard, the banks to at least consider the possibility of financing the price difference between electric and conventional cars.
Customs duties on electric car recharging equipment were cut to 10%, while value added tax was reduced to 7% from January 1 to December 31, 2023, according to Article 24 of the 2023 Finance Act, published on December 23 in the Official Gazette of the Tunisian Republic (JORT).
