Public Enterprise Minister Hesham Tawfik said that a number of cooperation agreements between Egypt and China will be signed in 2020 to boost the use of electric vehicles in Egypt.

"Egyptian and Chinese officials exchanged visits in the recent period to discuss cooperation agreements that will be signed in 2020 to begin the use of electric cars in Egypt," said Tawfik, who was speaking at a meeting with parliament's industry committee on Tuesday morning.

To prepare the ground for the widespread use of the vehicles, Tawfik said the electricity ministry will also set up 1,000 fast electric charging stations across Egypt over the next three years.

"The private sector will also be allowed to build this kind of station," said Tawfik, adding that "experts from China and Egypt agreed that the step of building electric charging stations should precede the use of electric cars on Egyptian streets."

"You can't use electric cars without first making sure that necessary charging stations are available," he said.

In addition to the above, Tawfik indicated that investors will be offered a package of incentives to produce at least 100,000 locally made electric vehicles in the near future, with a price of EGP50,000 per car.

In the meantime, Tawfik said, a programme will be implemented to target Cairo's white taxi cabs, which currently use both gasoline and diesel.

"We aim that at least 11,000 taxi cabs (3 percent of the total) per year will become electric vehicles," said Tawfik, adding that "government institutions and economic authorities will also be also encouraged to use electric cars, at a targeted rate of 7,000 cars per year.