Electric car-charging stations will start rolling out over the next 21 months in the UAE with an aim to encourage motorists to purchase eco-friendly vehicles.
Owners of electric and hybrid cars will be able to plug in their vehicle for free in more than 30 car parks in Dubai and across the emirates, part of a promotional test run by year end. The roll out plan is expected to start this May with locations announced later.
By the end of 2016 at the latest, Dubai should have good infrastructure to enable people to decide whether to buy electric cars or not, said Sam Alawiye, the chief executive of GreenParking. The most important thing is what the government is doing now, and that is providing the infrastructure, because once the infrastructure exists it will push people to look at this technology. If you are considering buying an electric car you must be sure there are stations to charge the car.
GreenParking, a local company selected by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), will be the main supplier of electric charging stations that will be installed across malls, airports, residential communities and hotels in Dubai.
Motorists will be able to charge their cars as they shop for between two to four hours, with each station capable of charging two vehicles simultaneously.
Payments can be done by cards or can also be added to the monthly home utility bills. The charges are according to the normal power tariff.
Source: The National
