UAE’s very first electrified vehicle road journey unveils nine fresh charging stations
The very first Emirates Electrified Vehicle Road Journey (EEVRT) concluded at The Sustainable City in Dubai last week, successfully opening nine fresh charging stations in the UAE and further driving electrical vehicle adoption in the country.
The fresh, free-to-use electrified vehicle charging stations, supplied by ENGIE, were opened at three AccorHotels, including Marjan Island Resort & Spa in Ras Al Khaimah (three), the Novotel Fujairah (four), and at the Sofitel Corniche in Abu Dhabi (two).
Accelerating the transition towards a sustainable low-carbon future, the four-day event took place from 29th January to 1st February two thousand seventeen when eleven electrical vehicles left Dubai and traversed more than 700km across the UAE. The charging stations installed have opened up a entire fresh spread of electrified vehicle driving for the UAE.
“The UAE has already come a long way in moving towards taking a more environmentally friendly stance when it comes to vehicles, and we hope that this event showcased people how much of a difference it can make.
Thank you to everyone who made the Emirates EVRT possible. It was a truly momentous event for the region and one we are utterly proud of,” says Ben Pullen, Founder and Managing Director of Global Electrified Vehicle Road Journey who brought the event to the UAE.
Along the way, forty participants and one hundred fifty total guests loved a stop at Jebel Jais, the UAE’s highest point, site visits as well as various gala dinner events, electrical vehicle practices and activities, and stayovers in Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi.
The road excursion concluded with an electrified vehicle conference at The Sustainable City on 1st February, including live panel debates, talks from electrified vehicle and energy experts, and a final UAE electrified vehicle parade, which also included electrified bikes.
During the road excursion Emirates National Bank of Dubai, The Sustainable City and AXA Insurance made announcements on their commitment to support the evolution of the electrified vehicle industry in the UAE.
Emirates NBD has launched their green auto loan with preferential pricing, The Sustainable City provides an Dh40,000 grant for residents wishing to purchase an electrical car, and AXA Insurance Gulf has launched a first-of-its-kind insurance solution for electrified vehicles in the GCC region under its Tesla Club Scheme.
The response from participants and event playmates who experienced the event for the very first time was overwhelmingly positive. Intrigued by how the electrical cars would perform during the longer drives to Jebel Jais and Fujairah, the participants were pleasurably astonished by the acceleration and range of the fresh Renault Zoe and Tesla vehicles.
One of the most interesting practices was to witness the regenerative braking which is a technology that permits the batteries to re-charge when driving down hills.
Through driving down Jebel Jais the Renault Zoe Log Range model was able to achieve around 50km of extra range.
“As pioneer and leader of 100% electrified vehicles in Europe, Renault was glad to support the Emirates EVRT initiative that is developing the awareness of unspoiled sustainable mobility in the UAE. We have shown through the use of the fresh Renault ZOE with 400km autonomy that autonomy was no longer an issue to budge loosely in the seven Emirates,” says Emmanuel Guiffault, Marketing Director of Renault Middle East.
Dominique Westbrook, Managing Director for Tetrad Discovery adds, “It was good to meet like-minded people who truly have the passion for green transport in the UAE, and to be part of that movement was very fulfilling.”
