3 Things To Know About Electric Vehicles as They Hit Dubai’s Streets
His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced that the inner roads of the Dubai International Airport will accommodate self-driving electric vehicles (EV) in an Emirates Airline’s lab last October. Since then, electric vehicles have become less of a mystery and more of a reality in the emirate. From Tesla opening its first showroom in the Middle East, to Chevrolet and Renault introducing their first electric vehicles to the market; here are 3 things you should know about electric cars as they hit the streets of Dubai.
Free Parking Spaces
According to the Roads And Transport Authority (RTA), 220 free parking spaces across 40 different locations will be reserved for electric vehicles. The spaces are clearly marked as a facility only to be used by motorists driving EV’s and a fine of 1,000 would be issued to those who park in the slot and do not own an EV. To utilize the parking spaces, the owner of the electric vehicle must have a sticker on the license plate, which is obtainable during the process of licensing the car.
Green Salik Tags
The Dubai Roads authority has given consumers who opt to buy an e-car a free Salik Tag that identify the vehicle as a green car. When passing under a toll gate found on Sheikh Zayed Road and other major highways in the emirate, the identified cars are exempted from paying the 4DHS fee.
Plug in and Charge
From free parking spaces and green Salik tags, incentives to purchase an electric-vehicle have been announced by the RTA. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the electricity provider of the United Arab Emirates has also joined the sphere of public pledges when it announced on its website that EV owners can charge their cars for free in any of DEWA’s green car chargers, until 2019. Initially installing 100 charging centres in 2015, the initiative has pledged to double the number of stations by the end of 2018, giving electric vehicle owners more flexibility in finding the free charging hubs.
Infographic by: Farida Khalil
Vector by: Vecteezy
