Tesla watch out: 1985 Fiat reborn electric

STORY: Location: Cairo, Egypt

This Egyptian man has turned his 1985 Fiat into an electric car

Ali al-Saeed bought a used Fiat for only $510

but he couldn't afford the rising cost of fuel and decided to convert it

The electric battery cost him nearly six times the car's original price

but Saeed believes it was a worthy investment

[Ali Al-saeed, teacher]

"I used to fill my car every two days with fuel for a certain amount of money, not a lot in the beginning. With increasing prices, the price of fuel needed for just two days has doubled. It was problematic for me because I use it a lot, I love to travel. It was hectic. Therefore, I started thinking of an alternative, to make an electric car that would benefit me and allow me to travel for longer commutes in the future, for 200 or 300 kilometres."

Now it only costs him $0.5 to power the car's battery for around 60 miles

"There is a difference in the cost for sure. When I use fuel, there’s enough for three or four days, but with an electric car I can stay up to one week without charging. I use it for small errands and I don't need to charge it very often. I don't hear any noisy sounds, it is comfortable to drive and the problems I face are few, in contrary to a gas-powered one, which has many problems."