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Environmental-friendly vehicles

90pc of Dubai limousines to go green by 2026

DUBAI, June 30, 2019

Ninety per cent of limousines operating in Dubai will be transformed into environmental-friendly vehicles (hybrid/electric) by 2026, said Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

The initiative is the first of its kind worldwide in the semi-total conversion of the limo fleet into green vehicles, he added.

According to the plan, which runs for seven years, 65 per cent of the Dubai limousine fleet will be hybrid vehicles and 25 per cent electric vehicles. The plan envisages building up the ratio of green limos gradually from the current 6 per cent to 10 per cent by 2020, and double up to 20 per cent in 2021.

The proportion of environmental-friendly vehicles will pick up to 30 per cent by 2022, and the momentum will continue annually afterwards to reach 40 per cent in 2023, 55 per cent in 2024, and 70 per cent in 2025 until hitting the targeted rate of 90 per cent in 2026.

“The step is part of a master plan to curb carbon emissions of taxis and limos by 2 per cent as required by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and the Green Economy drive. It also comes in the aftermath of fuel deregulation policy and the low cost of electric/hybrid vehicles life span compared with fuel-powered vehicles,” said Al Tayer.

“About 6,500 limos are operated in Dubai by 100 companies or more. Each vehicle travels about 400 km per day, which translates into the production of 44 tons of carbon emissions per annum.

“RTA studies on the use of electric/hybrid vehicles showed that financial savings of using electric vehicles amount to Dh20,000 ($5.444) over the life cycle of each vehicle. Hybrid vehicles make a saving of Dh30,000. From an environmental perspective, electric vehicles do not have any harmful emissions, while the use of hybrid vehicles cuts emissions by 40 per cent.

“In the context of its support to green mobility, RTA is offering a 25 per cent discount on the monthly franchise fees on electric vehicles throughout the first year. It will also give permission the electric vehicles to use bus-dedicated lanes. I addition to increasing electric vehicles life span to two years more than fuel-powered vehicles,” added Al Tayer.

RTA has endorsed a plan to transform 50 per cent of Dubai taxi fleet into hybrid vehicles by 2021. Accordingly, the number of hybrid taxis is set to rise from 791 vehicles in 2016 to 4750 vehicles by 2021.  Dubai Taxi Corporation accounts for the largest share of hybrid vehicles as it currently operates 2280 of these vehicles. Hybrid vehicles currently make 28 per cent of the total taxi fleet in Dubai.

RTA is the first entity in the region to deploy hybrid/electric vehicles in the taxi fleet for a trial run from 2008 to 2011. Results of the trial have proved the economic and ecological feasibility of the project, with 30 per cent fuel saving and 30 per cent reduction in carbon emissions. – TradeArabia News Service




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