Middle East gearing up for transition to electric vehicles: Senior Nissan official Drop in battery prices, improved infrastructure key drivers in move toward EVs RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is leading the regional push towards electric vehicle (EV) adoption but battery prices remain a worry for motorists, according to a top Nissan official. Guillaume Cartier, senior vice president of marketing and sales at the Japanese motor manufacturer said that the speed of introduction would depend on a fall in battery prices to a level that made the cost of an EV equivalent to that of a regular car. Speaking to Asharq Business, Cartier said that a comprehensive infrastructure for charging EVs was needed before a successful transition could happen. He noted that there was an intention to switch to EVs and that the region was moving from a mentality of pioneering the adoption of EV technology to a real desire to provide it. Saudi Arabia has already put itself on the path to adopting EVs and the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization has approved imported EVs and allowed local agents to start bringing the vehicles into the Kingdom. Other initiatives taken by the government may contribute to the promotion of EVs. These include Saudi Electricity Co.’s 2018 agreement with Nissan for the first EV pilot project in the country that included the development of fast-charger EV stations.