Dubai EV numbers hit nearly 26,000 in 2023 amid green mobility drive

UAE plans to increase share of electric cars on the road to 50% of total vehicles by 2050

There was a 59 per cent increase in the use of Dewa's green charging services for electric vehicles in 2023, the utility said. Photo: Dewa

The number of electric vehicles in Dubai reached 25,929 by the end of December, advancing the emirate's green mobility plans, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said on Sunday.

This increased from the 15,100 EVs on Dubai's roads at the end of 2022, as a previous Dewa statement reported last February.

"We will continue to foster the use of electric vehicles through continuous development of the green charging stations using technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution," said Saeed Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive of Dewa.

"Dewa has launched several features to facilitate the charging of EVs on its public charging network, reduce charging time, enhance the infrastructure and provide better access to charging facilities across Dubai."

The EV market continues to grow amid a global shift towards energy conservation and adherence to sustainability and climate-change goals.

Global EV sales will grow by 29 per cent to about 16.5 million units, accounting for more than a quarter of the global automotive market this year, according to a forecast by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The market share of EVs is set to increase as the 2035 target, set by several governments for phasing out vehicles run on fossil fuels, draws closer, the EIU said in a report this month.

The UAE is encouraging the adoption of EVs on its roads as part of its green mobility plans and the wider goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

To reach that goal by mid-century, the UAE is working on lowering the carbon footprint in the transport sector, reducing energy consumption in transport by 40 per cent, cutting carbon emissions by 10 million tonnes by 2050 and increasing the share of EVs to 50 per cent of the total vehicles on its roads by 2050.

Dewa has invested in a network of public charging stations for EVs as part of efforts to boost Dubai's eco-friendly infrastructure and support green mobility.

The use of Dewa's green charging stations for EVs rose 59 per cent year-on-year in 2023, it said on Sunday.

Dewa's EV Green Charger campaign recorded 1,145,427 charging sessions conducted by registered vehicles last year.

The number of EV owners registered under the drive rose from 14 in 2015 to more than 13,959 by the end of December 2023, Dewa said.

Dewa has installed 382 EV green charging stations across Dubai, many with dual charging outlets, the statement added.