Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to account for over 15% of new passenger car and light commercial vehicle sales across the UAE by 2030, according to the eMobility Outlook 2024: UAE Edition, recently released by PWC.
This figure translates to PWC estimates that by 2035, the market share for EVs in the UAE will have increased to 25 percent, the equivalent of approximately 110,500 vehicles.
The report pointed out that eMobility has been identified as a "priority policy area" by the UAE, with ambitious plans to decarbonise its infrastructure and energy production.
"Under the Energy Strategy 2050, the country is pursuing a combination of renewable and nuclear energy sources to achieve carbon neutrality by the middle of this century," it stated.
"The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is a critical element in this transition to a low carbon economy".
During COP28, the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure announced that the UAE aims to have electric and hybrid vehicles accounting for 50 percent of all vehicles by 2050, in addition to tripling its renewables power generation capacity.
According the to the report, 20 percent of federal government agency vehicles in the UAE have already been converted to EV powertrains.
Growth in Abu Dhabi
The report revealed that Abu Dhabi has seen substantial growth in its electric vehicle fleet, boasting 2,441 EVs, 4,138 hybrid vehicles, and 9,412 natural gas vehicles on its roads, as of late 2023.
In response to the growing demand for EV charging infrastructure and to support the transition towards electric mobility, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) have committed to installing 70,000 EV charge points in the emirate by 2030.
UAEV, a pioneering joint venture recently launched by the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEl) and Etihad Water and Electricity (Etihad WE), aims to provide fast and accessible EV charging infrastructure across the UAE.
Moreover, the UAE tech and telecom group e& has launched the "Charge&Go" network, to meet an expected 30 percent annual increase in EV demand from 2022 to 2028.
EV Adoption in Dubai
Dubai has seen a rapid growth in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) with 25,929 reported by the end of December 2023, up from 15,100 in 2022, as per Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA), according to the report.
It noted that this growth is supported by initiatives like the Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Green Mobility Strategy 2030, including the EV Green Charger initiative, which aim to expand the EV charging network and encourage the use of pure electric and hybrid cars across Dubai.
The report stated that DEWA plans to increase public Green Charging Stations in the city by 170 percent, from 370 in 2023 to 1,000 by 2025.
It further revealed that the Green Charger Initiative has seen registrations soar from 14 in 2015 to over 11,000 by mid-2023, with Dubai targeting over 42,000 electric cars on its roads by 2030.
