Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has signed an agreement with Japanese firms Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), Nissan Motor Company and Takaoka Toko for the first electric vehicle pilot study in the kingdom.

As part of the pilot scheme, SEC will borrow three electric vehicles from Nissan while electric chargers will be provided by Tepco and Takaoka. The pilot is hoping to develop fast-charger stations that can charge electric vehicles in as little as 30 minutes, much less than the overnight charging currently recommended for any electric vehicles.