It was only a few days ago it came to light that a Qatari company, in collaboration with a Japanese counterpart, was getting ready to launch an electric car manufacturing unit in the country.

More details of the plan have now been revealed.

Qatar’s Quality Trading Company, backed by Japan’s ARM, will roll out the first home-built electric car off the assembly line in 2022. The car, which will have a power of 700 horsepower, will run around a 1,000km on a single 10-minute charge, reported Gulf Times.

The nation’s first indigenously-built car has been named Katara. ARM manufactures hybrid and electric engines for world-class car manufacturers such as Honda and Toyota.

The manufacturing plant of the new electric car will come up over a 6.5km stretch of land, situated in the Industrial Area, and is expected to cost around $9bn, reported The Peninsula.

The hefty price tag will represent the total investment until the production of the first electric car.

While the first car will roll out in 2022, the plant will become fully functional only within the next seven years.

By that time, there will be 12 production lines running 24 hours a day. The initial production capacity of the plant is expected to be 500,000 cars until 2025 and will reach one million cars by 2035, said ARM Chairman Takayuki Hirayama.

Dr Musa Ramadan, managing director of Qatar Quality Trading, said it was a huge leap forward.

“It’s a huge jump in the field of industry which will have a direct impact on the economy of Qatar,” Dr Musa was quoted as saying by Qatar Tribune.