QTerminals has received the first advanced electric tractor (APM 75T HE), the locally assembled energy-efficient vehicle that ensures robust savings in operational costs for the Hamad Port.

The electric vehicle was assembled at GAME (Gaussin Advanced Mobility Electric), a joint venture between Gaussin and Al Attiya Group, in the Ras Bufontas Free Zone, to be used in transporting containers at Hamad Port.

Each tractor is estimated to save nearly QR45,500 a year compared with the diesel-powered tractors. One kilowatt hour costs QR0.32 in electric tractors compared to QR2.32 in diesel-powered ones.

Hamad Port’s Container Terminal 2 is being equipped with 22 advanced electric tractors APM 75T HE for container transportation within the terminal and the port.

"The operations of assembling electric tractors for transporting containers at Hamad Port terminals are in pace with ministry’s vision for supporting the national manufacturing and deploying the latest technologies that are based on environmental sustainability and clean energy," HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti said.

The minister affirmed that producing this type of tractors will serve the electric vehicles strategy that MoTC had developed with the bodies concerned and which aims to support the country’s ambition for greener future.

The testing of the e-vehicles took place in front of Gaussin’s factory and was attended by HE Ahmad bin Mohamed al-Sayed, the Minister of State and chairman of Qatar Free Zone Authority (QFZA); Franck Gellet, French envoy, Capt. Abdulla Mohamed al-Khanji, Mwani Qatar chief executive; Abdul Aziz al-Attiya, chairman of Al Attiya Motors and Trading; Christophe Gaussin, chief executive of Gaussin Company and Neville Bissett, chief executive of QTerminals.

The APM 75T HE Terminal Tractors are highly productive with low maintenance cost. They are also easy to drive with a high level of safety, eco-friendly and energy saver. Being fully-electric makes them clean and sustainable with no polluting or carbon emissions or noise.

"The production of the first ever e-vehicles in Qatar here in the free zones shows that our ambition to be the leading regional hub of the e-vehicle mobility sector is quickly becoming a reality. QFZA has a key role to play to support the national vision by attracting leading companies like Gaussin to Qatar," the QFZA chairman said.

The commencement of the production signals the beginning of the manufacturing of the most technologically advanced machines dedicated to serving seaports, airports, logistics and smart cities in Qatar, while promising to provide outstanding opportunities that will benefit both, the region and the globe, al-Sayed added.

This type of terminal tractors is capable of functioning very efficiently in high temperatures. It uses advanced batteries, an entirely solid-state technology insensitive to temperature variations from -20 to 160°C. This supports its operations at Hamad Port in summers, when temperatures are very high in Qatar.

These vehicles, according to al-Attiya, have been designed to cope with harsh summer conditions and contribute positively to reduce Hamad seaport’s carbon emissions and support “Made in Qatar”.

"The tractors will make a significant contribution to the achievement of its sustainable development targets and will be part of QTerminals’ efforts to reduce its carbon footprint in Hamad Port," Bissett said.

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