What UAE motor insurance rules say about electric cars

Neither unified UAE motor policy contains the word battery or hybrid. The tariff mentions electricity once, as a permitted reduction at renewal.

It means the baseline text does not answer the question.

Neither unified form mentions batteries

Neither form, version 2, consolidated 18 January 2021, contains the word battery, hybrid or charging. “Electrical” appears once, in Loss and Damage Chapter Four exclusion 01. Both forms define a Motor Vehicle as a mechanical machine, motorcycle or any other device that works through a mechanical force. The definition does not mention fuel or powertrain.^1,2

The tariff allows up to 25% off at renewal

Article 2(6) of the tariff, Decision 30 of 2016, says the company may grant a reduction for vehicles running on gas or electricity at renewal, of not more than 25% of the premium, taking into account accidents caused by the vehicle that led to claims. Where several reasons for a reduction apply, only the highest rate applies.³ Decision 41 of 2017 added this paragraph from 1 January 2018.⁴ Its Arabic text joins gas and electricity with “and”, where the English has “or” (our reading).⁵

The wording is “may”, so the reduction is permitted, not automatic. The text does not mention a reduction on a first policy.

The Central Bank’s consumer brochure puts it differently. It says the discount “shall be 25% of the minimum rate” at renewal, taking your accident record into account.⁶ The two texts differ, so ask your insurer which it applies.

The tariff tables have no electric vehicle row

Table 1 of the tariff keys third party premiums for salon and four-wheel drive cars to cylinders. Other rows use tonnage, passengers, tank size or engine cc. It has no row for electric vehicles. Table 2 keys premiums for the joint Loss and Damage and Third Party policies to body type.³

The tariff does not say how an electric car fits a cylinder-based table.

The tariff sets limits, and insurers price inside them (Article 2(2)).³

Insurer documents do not settle the battery question

Sukoon, GIG Gulf and ADNIC are each listed in the CBUAE register, September 2026.⁷ Only Sukoon’s document is a policy wording. GIG Gulf’s is a product page and ADNIC’s is an article. None is an EV-specific policy wording. Tesla’s InsureMyTesla page advertises battery protection and charging equipment cover, underwritten by Liva and operated by Petra.⁸ That is a product page too, so ask for the wording before you rely on it.

The unified text sets no requirement for the EV-specific cover ADNIC describes. Where an insurer does add cover, the tariff requires it in clear wording, in a different colour or by addendum (Article 3(3)).³

Two statements on cost can both hold

ADNIC says EV insurance can cost more, and the tariff permits up to 25% off at renewal.^9,3 Al Khaleej reported on 25 October 2026 that executives at Policybazaar and Salama put EV premiums about 10% to 35% above comparable petrol cars.¹⁴ Khaleej Times reported on 5 March 2026 that Policybazaar put them 10% to 30% higher on average, and up to 72% higher in some cases.¹² Both are press reports of market statements, and they differ.

ADNIC’s stated reasons are repair costs, plus charging-related damage and battery fires as added risks. It also says many EV repairs need manufacturer-approved service centres.⁹ The Loss and Damage form addresses agency repair only at Chapter Two para 9, for the period after the first three years of use, where the insurer may agree a request made at contract.¹ See agency repair.

Charging costs depend on where you plug in

Cabinet Resolution 81 of 2024 sets a minimum price for public charging across the UAE: AED 1.20 per kWh plus VAT for fast charging and AED 0.70 plus VAT for slow charging.¹⁵ It is a minimum, not a cap. DEWA has charged those rates, for DC and AC, since 30 September 2024. A registered account also carries an AED 500 security deposit and an AED 20 delivery charge.¹⁶ Check the price on the charger before you start.

A petrol car using more litres per 100 km than the last column costs more to run on fuel than that way of charging. Home rates are DEWA’s slab tariff plus its November 2026 fuel surcharge of 6 fils per kWh.¹⁷ Your slab depends on your whole household’s use. Meter charges are left out.

The 20 kWh comes from DEWA’s own figures: more than 55,200 MWh supplied, enabling more than 276 million km.¹⁸ Your car may use more or less. The Gasoline and Diesel Prices Follow-up Committee set Special 95 at AED 4.04 a litre for November 2026, as reported by WAM on 31 October 2026 and carried by Big News Network and Khaleej Times. The price changes each month.^19,20

In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Energy set 30 fils per kWh for registered home chargers on a sub-meter in August 2021, with AED 92 a month until the sub-meter is fitted.²¹ Ask TAQA Distribution for the current rate.

Dubai’s Green Charger network had more than 1,860 charging points and 23,600 registered users by mid-January 2026.¹⁸ On the Abu Dhabi to Dubai road, ADNOC Distribution opened a 60-point hub at Saih Shuaib on the E11 in January 2026. It plans 20 highway hubs by the end of 2027.²²

The UAE aims for EVs to reach 50% of vehicles by 2050

The UAE aims for EVs to reach 50% of vehicles on its roads by 2050. Dubai’s RTA plans for taxis to be 100% eco-friendly, meaning hybrid, electric and hydrogen, by 2027.²³ These are targets. Dubai had 47,944 EVs at the end of 2025, up from 37,486 a year earlier.¹⁸

DEWA published this video about its public EV charger on 24 September 2024.

Play: DEWA EV Green Charger - Public ChargerNothing loads from YouTube until you click. Plays through youtube-nocookie.com.

Ask your insurer about battery wear, chargers and tariff placement

Ask your insurer whether gradual loss of battery capacity falls under Chapter Four exclusion 01, whether home charging equipment is an accessory, and how it places an electric car in a cylinder-based table.

See also the unified policy guide, Tesla and EVs around the world.