Riyadh – Mubasher: The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) signed an agreement with three Japanese companies to implement the first electric vehicle (EV) pilot project in the Kingdom.

The three firms are Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), Nissan Motor Co, and Takaoka Toko.

“Such a move is part of the company’s strategy to reduce reliance on oil and cut emissions, SEC said in a statement. State oil giant Saudi Aramco is also working on technologies to make vehicles more efficient,” Reuters reported, citing a statement by SEC.

Fast-charger stations will be set up to charge the EVs within 30 minutes.

The Saudi electricity provider will borrow three EVs from Nissan, Japan's second-biggest carmaker, while TEPCO and Takaoka Toko will provide the Saudi firm with another three fast chargers.

SEC did not specify a period for completing the project.