The existing scheme to allow free charging for electric cars in the United Arab Emirates as an incentive to drivers to get on board with the new technology is ending this year, but an extension has now been announced.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has announced that the scheme will be extended for a further two years until 31st December 2021.
However, only non-commercial users will be able to make use of this extension and only after they have registered to be part of the EV Green Charger Initiative.
These users will be able to charge their electric vehicles for free until the end of 2021 at DEWA public charging stations.
Commercial registered users, including the likes of private, government and semi-government organisations, will be charged a 29 fils per kilowatt hour tariff from 1stJanuary 2020.
The CEO and managing director of DEWA, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, says that the organisation fully supports the Smart Dubai Initiative that was instigated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE, launched the initiative in a bid to make the emirate the world’s smartest and happiest city.
DEWA also supports the UAE Vision 2021, the aim of which is to succeed in creating a sustainable environment in regard to water conservation, green development, air quality and a greater reliance on green energy.
The Dubai Plan 2021, which DEWA again supports, intends to make the emirate smart, innovative and sustainable with better resource management, improved quality of life, and a consolidation of its status a worldwide model for a greener economy.
DEWA wants to see an increase in the number of electric and hybrid cars in Dubai, a stance that gives support to the Dubai Green Mobility Strategy 2030.
Al Tayer adds that his organisation’s attitude to electric cars also supports the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy 2021, which intends to cut down on the transportation sector’s carbon emissions.
Under the Supreme Council’s umbrella, DEWA is also trying to implement the promotion of the use of hybrid and fully electric cars, as per the Dubai Green Mobility Initiative.
This initiative was launched by the Dubai Supreme Energy Council after a 2016 directive to give organisations under its umbrella greater motivation to increase the number of electric and hybrid cars.
The directive also wants to contribute to the emirate’s sustainable development with a reduction of carbon emissions from ground transport, which is Dubai’s second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
This means that of every new purchased vehicle from 2016 to 2020 in Dubai, at least 10% of them will either be a hybrid or a fully electric car.
Anyone who is driving any vehicle, electric or otherwise, in the UAE still has to take out car insurance before they can legally drive there.
Car insurance is an effective way to spare motorists the cost of unfortunate events such as car theft or accidents.