An undercover sting operation has highlighted a Saudi Arabian government plan to artificially raise global oil demand, Channel 4 News can reveal in an investigation released just days before climate crisis talks begin in the UAE.
“EVs are being favoured in terms of subsidies and regulatory advantage especially in regions like Africa so what we are working on is to increase internal combustion engine adoptions.”
I doubt Chinese automakers would like to see this happen, as China and their companies invest Africa so much, most Africa countries have good relationship with China.
If Saudi Arabia does that, China might’t happy for that because it would affect Chinese EV sales and profits.
Don’t forget that China investing some number in Saudi Arabia in recent. If Saudi wants to work with China, they should rethink about it.
I totally get your logic here, but I think that African countries are already unlikely to adopt EVs just on infrastructure alone…
The linked article mentions how SA is trying to install massive ships with gas power plants off the African coasts. If that’s the current state of electricity access, nobody who depends on a vehicle for their safety or livelihood is going to bring an EV into the African interior (for now).
So then, why is SA pushing more gas cars in the first place? That’s already what’s there - and given that many of these ICE cars are older imports with worse fuel economy, why try to replace them with newer ICE cars that might have to meet tighter emissions regulations and ultimately burn less fuel?
Whatever your take on ICE/EV adoption, this plan just seems like it never went beyond the marketing hype phase and certainly didn’t get a feasibility study 🤷
So then, why is SA pushing more gas cars in the first place? That’s already what’s there - and given that many of these ICE cars are older imports with worse fuel economy, why try to replace them with newer ICE cars that might have to meet tighter emissions regulations and ultimately burn less fuel?
International politics are against Africans getting used cars. See, for example, the UN Project of Safer and Cleaner Used Vehicles for Africa, which aims to prevent the import of vehicles more than 5 years old to Africa.
Really good point! I appreciate you linking that policy memo, I had never seen that!
That being said, I agree with another commenter that this policy seems to be demanding unreasonably expensive standards for cars on areas that have been making very clear which types of vehicles they prefer (that is, ones they can afford to purchase and maintain within their region/community). But this behavior is not new among Western countries - we sure love telling developing countries that they can’t use the low-cost, high-polluting tech we were using 50 years ago to jumpstart our own modern economies.
Well thats some delusional shit right there. Im all for the environment, but strategies like that are doomed to fail on premise and if implemented could cause great harm to the african transport culture and thus effect the livelihood of the people.
Reason: they dont have the equipment or support to maintain such cars. For cheap cars that are imported even direct injection diesels are found to be undesirable, atleast going by the importers “buying” -ads on Facebook. Ffs
So much international environmental action translates into blocking developing nations from following the same path developed nations did, but you don’t see developed nations paying for alternative more difficult and untested paths.
Giving Africa cheaper cars is better for Africa. If anyone wants anything else they should put their money where their mouth is.
I doubt Chinese automakers would like to see this happen, as China and their companies invest Africa so much, most Africa countries have good relationship with China.
If Saudi Arabia does that, China might’t happy for that because it would affect Chinese EV sales and profits.
Don’t forget that China investing some number in Saudi Arabia in recent. If Saudi wants to work with China, they should rethink about it.
I totally get your logic here, but I think that African countries are already unlikely to adopt EVs just on infrastructure alone…
The linked article mentions how SA is trying to install massive ships with gas power plants off the African coasts. If that’s the current state of electricity access, nobody who depends on a vehicle for their safety or livelihood is going to bring an EV into the African interior (for now).
So then, why is SA pushing more gas cars in the first place? That’s already what’s there - and given that many of these ICE cars are older imports with worse fuel economy, why try to replace them with newer ICE cars that might have to meet tighter emissions regulations and ultimately burn less fuel?
Whatever your take on ICE/EV adoption, this plan just seems like it never went beyond the marketing hype phase and certainly didn’t get a feasibility study 🤷
International politics are against Africans getting used cars. See, for example, the UN Project of Safer and Cleaner Used Vehicles for Africa, which aims to prevent the import of vehicles more than 5 years old to Africa.
Really good point! I appreciate you linking that policy memo, I had never seen that!
That being said, I agree with another commenter that this policy seems to be demanding unreasonably expensive standards for cars on areas that have been making very clear which types of vehicles they prefer (that is, ones they can afford to purchase and maintain within their region/community). But this behavior is not new among Western countries - we sure love telling developing countries that they can’t use the low-cost, high-polluting tech we were using 50 years ago to jumpstart our own modern economies.
Well thats some delusional shit right there. Im all for the environment, but strategies like that are doomed to fail on premise and if implemented could cause great harm to the african transport culture and thus effect the livelihood of the people.
Reason: they dont have the equipment or support to maintain such cars. For cheap cars that are imported even direct injection diesels are found to be undesirable, atleast going by the importers “buying” -ads on Facebook. Ffs
So much international environmental action translates into blocking developing nations from following the same path developed nations did, but you don’t see developed nations paying for alternative more difficult and untested paths.
Giving Africa cheaper cars is better for Africa. If anyone wants anything else they should put their money where their mouth is.
On the flip side, if the infrastructure royally sucks, I can at least install some solar panels on my rooftop.
Installing an oil well in my backyard… harder.