The number of electric and hybrid vehicles registered in Syria surpassed 24,600 by the end of last October, including 5,183 electric vehicles and 19,417 hybrids running on gasoline and electricity, indicating a growing trend toward more energy-efficient and less polluting transport options.
Imad al-Din al-Qash, Director of the Road Transport Directorate at the Ministry of Transport, told SANA on Monday that the Ministry's role is to formalize and register these vehicles through transport directorates in the governorates according to approved regulations, noting that registration and ownership transfer procedures do not differ from those applied to other vehicles.
Geographic distribution of vehicles
Al-Qash stated that Damascus led in the number of electric vehicles with 1,573 units and hybrids with 6,983 units, followed by Rural Damascus with 558 electric and 1,990 hybrid vehicles. In other governorates, electric vehicles were distributed as follows: 350 in Daraa, 144 in Aleppo, 116 in Homs, 70 in Tartus, 62 in Quneitra, 60 in Hama, 49 in Idlib, 30 in Latakia, 4 in As-Suwayda, and 3 in Raqqa.
He noted that hybrid vehicles were distributed as follows: 1,681 in Daraa, 1,223 in Aleppo, 677 in Hama, 633 in Homs, 621 in Tartus, 318 in Quneitra, 265 in Latakia, 101 in Idlib, 32 in Raqqa, and 10 in Deir Ezzor, with some vehicles classified as experimental in certain locations.
Environmental and health benefits
Al-Qash explained that the shift toward these vehicles is linked to lower operating costs, particularly fuel consumption, and reduced maintenance needs for electric cars, as well as their lack of emissions during driving, which helps reduce urban pollution. He added that expanding their spread requires providing charging stations and necessary infrastructure, along with specialized maintenance centers, spare parts, and batteries.
For his part, Ali al-Hamad, Director of Public Relations at the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment, clarified that the primary environmental importance of electric cars lies in eliminating direct exhaust emissions within cities, thereby reducing pollutants, primarily nitrogen oxides, fine particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. He pointed out that reports from the European Environment Agency (EEA) indicate that these vehicles also contribute to reducing noise pollution at low speeds.
Regulations and challenges
He stated that their direct impact involves improving local air quality and reducing noise in crowded areas, although the overall environmental benefit depends on the sources of electricity generation in the national grid. He emphasized that reducing these pollutants protects the most vulnerable groups, especially children, the elderly, and patients with chronic diseases, and helps alleviate the burden on the health sector.
Al-Hamad explained that the Ministry is working on establishing the necessary environmental regulations for the transition to electric transport in coordination with relevant ministries, by defining the requirements and standards governing activities related to this sector. This includes setting controls for the management of expired batteries and electronic waste, based on sound waste management frameworks and the principles of the Basel Convention.
He noted that the spread of electric cars faces structural, technical, and regulatory challenges, the most prominent of which are the stability of power supply and the grid's capacity to accommodate additional charging loads, as well as the limited number of normal and fast charging stations within cities and on public roads. He added that other challenges include the need to update customs legislation and standards and specifications related to import and assembly, as well as providing specialized maintenance centers and essential spare parts to ensure the sustainable operation of these vehicles.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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