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Sun vs fossil fuel

Sep 17,2015 - Last updated at Sep 17,2015

The government is making good on its promise to encourage the use of electric cars by now exempting electrically powered vehicles from registration fees, which could reach between JD8,000 and JD9,000.

During the May World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, held on the shores of the Dead Sea, Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding with several car manufacturers to gradually introduce and use electrically powered cars, starting with government officials, in order to protect the environment.

The introduction of electric cars, however, appears to favour only the well-off who can afford paying for them, leaving it to the majority of car owners to pay high customs duties and registration fees to make up for the losses to the government coffers.

So far, Tesla, BMW, Mercedes and soon Audi manufacture electricity-powered cars. These are high-end vehicles that few can afford to buy.

The average car owner will have to resort to “regular” vehicles and so will be left to foot the bill on behalf of those who do not have to.

Once prices of electric cars come within the reach of at least the middle class, the exemptions will be welcome. But that still seems like a distant prospect.

Moreover, the country is not equipped to deal with electric cars, which can be charged only in Amman, so that leaves the rest of the country out in the cold.

On balance, a more balanced approach to electric cars would be fairer; that could be reached by reducing customs duties on these types of vehicles by 50 per cent, for example.

True, saving the environment is a paramount responsibility for the entire globe, but in our case, a socio-ethical issue seems to be raised by electric cars, and addressing it should take precedence.

 

Best would be for car customs and registration fees to be the same no matter how they are powered.

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