Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministries of Environment and Transport have initiated joint planning sessions to advance the rollout of electric vehicles across the country, formulating the initial framework for a pilot project designated as the Green Taxi.
The initiative focuses on the establishment of dedicated solar-powered charging plazas, designed specifically to decouple vehicle charging from the overburdened national electricity grid, curb operating expenses, and slash automotive emissions as part of a wider state policy to gradually introduce clean energy technologies into the public transport network.
Haider Al-Darraji, Director of the Carbon Economics Company under the Ministry of Environment, stated in remarks carried by the official state newspaper that the project constitutes the initial phase of a systematic national transition toward establishing the pillars of a green economy.
Al-Darraji stressed that any long-term mandate requiring the complete replacement of conventional combustion vehicles must be managed through calculated, progressive regulatory frameworks, ensuring that the ecological transition does not impose undue financial strain on private taxi operators or everyday commuters.
The scope and velocity of subsequent expansion phases will depend entirely on empirical evaluations collected throughout the initial rollout. Authorities plan to measure performance benchmarks, including the actual volume of electric vehicles deployed, operational utilization rates, grid independence, maintenance overheads, driver feedback, and verified reductions in both fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
These real-world data points will serve as the technical blueprint for drafting a broader national substitution program to phase out fossil-fuel taxis over the coming years.
Parallel consultations between the two ministries have also explored practical infrastructure adaptations across existing transport hubs. Abbas Imran Mousa, Director General of the Planning and Follow-up Department at the Ministry of Transport, confirmed that discussions are underway to utilize parking garages and terminals operated by the General Company for Private Transport Administration.
Under this framework, designated public transport bays will be retrofitted with solar-powered charging infrastructure, ensuring that clean mobility solutions can operate autonomously while firmly embedding sustainable transport infrastructure across the country.
