To make Dubai greener and smarter, electric vehicles charging stations will be doubled to 200 across the city to complete the second phase of the Green Charger initiative.
In this direction, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) will set up different types of charging stations including fast-charging stations installed at petrol stations that take 20 to 40 minutes. These stations have three different plugs, one with a capacity of 48 kilowatts (kW) for Alternating Current (AC), CHAdeMO plugs, and Combo plugs with a capacity of 50kW of Direct Current (DC). Medium-charging stations installed at shopping malls, parks, and Dubai Government customer service centres take 2-4 hours. The stations feature two plugs, each with a capacity of 22kW. And finally, wall-charging stations with a capacity of 22kW for AC will take 2-4 hours to charge.
DEWA launched the Green Charger initiative in April 2014 to install and manage the required infrastructure to charge electric vehicles. The move complements DEWA’s efforts to reduce air pollution and protect the environment from the impact of the transport sector in the Emirate.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said, “The Green Charger initiative contributes to the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to transform Dubai into an international hub for clean energy and green economy and to enhance Dubai’s position as the city with the lowest carbon footprint worldwide. And it also supports the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 16 per cent by 2021.”
He further added, “Dubai Government identified the rate per kilowatt hour (kW/h) for public charging of an electric vehicle as 29 fils per kW/h. This figure constitutes significant savings for electric car owners, compared with those that use fuel. For example, a Renault electric car can be charged for a full hour for a cost of only AED 7, where you can drive it for 130 km and can reach the same speeds as conventional cars. The larger the size of the battery the more time is needed to charge the battery, lengthening the distance that can be driven by a car during one charging cycle.”
While making concluding remarks, Tayer said, “These achievements have helped to strengthen the hybrid and electric vehicle market, encouraged electric vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, and stimulated the use of these environmentally-friendly vehicles for all Dubai residents. The electric vehicles are attracting a big number of people, due to their financial savings in addition to the use of zero-emission vehicles that keep the environment clean and sustainable.”