Dubai on Friday unveiled a Dh150 million strategy to expand the city's electric vehicle charging network in support of a nationwide green transport drive.
Dubai Municipality has joined forces with Emarat EV Charging Stations Company (UAEV) to install supercharging stations at 600 parking spaces across the emirate.
The charging points will be at public parks, beaches and recreational facilities, with 150 operational in the next two years.
Strengthening electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is viewed as a key step in encouraging drivers to switch from petrol cars and to help the nation achieve ambitious environmental goals.
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure wants half of the vehicles on UAE roads to be battery-electric by 2050, to help reduce carbon emissions.
PwC estimates that, by 2030, EVs will have a market share in the UAE of more than 15 per cent (about 58,000 vehicles) of new car and light commercial vehicle sales. That number is expected to rise to 25 per cent by 2035, which is equal to about 110,500 vehicles.
Demand is forecast to reach 45,000 charging points by 2035 to achieve the National Electric Vehicles Policy target for the share of EVs on the road, it said in the 2024 report.
In January, fuel retailer Adnoc Distribution opened what it described as the world’s sixth-largest superfast electric vehicle charging hub and the largest in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey.
The station, at Saih Shuaib on the E11 motorway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, has 60 high-speed charging points that can charge most EVs from 0 to 80 per cent in about 20 minutes.
Adnoc Distribution also has plans to open 20 EV charging hubs on the UAE's motorways by the end of 2027. Fifteen are expected to open this year.
Efforts to increase EV uptake come as the cost of filling up at petrol stations increases, driven by instability caused by the Iran war.
The cost of Super 98 petrol has risen to Dh3.39 per litre in April, up from Dh2.59 in March, while diesel is now Dh4.69 per litre, 72.4 per cent higher than the Dh2.72 charge last month.
