DUBAI // A network of electric car-charging stations to be rolled out over the next 21 months will encourage more motorists to purchase eco-friendly vehicles.
Owners of electric and hybrid cars will also be able to plug in their vehicle for free at about 30 car parks this year in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, as part of a promotional drive.
This will kick off in May with a free charging station in a prime Dubai location, according to GreenParking, a local company selected by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority as one of the main suppliers of electric charging stations.
Motorists will be able to charge their cars as they shop for between two to four hours, company officials said. The location will be disclosed later.
“By the end of 2016 at the latest, Dubai should have good infrastructure to enable people to decide whether to buy electric cars or not,” said Sam Alawiye, the chief executive of GreenParking.
“The most important thing is what the government is doing now, and that is providing the infrastructure, because once the infrastructure exists it will push people to look at this technology. If you are considering buying an electric car you must be sure there are stations to charge the car.”
In February, Dewa launched a dozen public charging stations at its offices, with four more coming online this month.
The authority has also announced plans for an additional 84 charging stations by the year-end at malls, airports, residential communities and hotels.
“By transforming Dubai into the smartest city in the world, we aim to provide smart, instant, and seamless services available anytime, anywhere,” said Saeed Al Tayer, Dewa’s chief executive.
“We have provided this infrastructure and taken the initiative to bring this to the country. This is the start of Dewa implementing a pioneering electric vehicle-charging station infrastructure.”
The first two stations installed by GreenParking at Dewa offices have been operational since February 25. There are eight electric chargers at Dewa sites in Jebel Ali Industrial Area Centre, Al Quoz Customer Service Centre, Al Wasl, Al Hudaiba and Umm Ramool.
Each station can charge two vehicles simultaneously. Payment is either via a card from Dewa or is added to monthly home utility bills. The charges are according to the normal power tariff.
The 84 charging stations to come up this year will be installed and operated by GreenParking and companies from Portugal, Germany and Ireland.
An inhibiting factor so far has been the high cost of electric cars and the low petrol prices in the UAE when compared to Europe, where high fuel costs prompt motorists to switch to electric or hybrid cars.
“The price here is 30 per cent higher than normal cars,” said Mr Alawiye.
“The big push will happen if government entities as role models promote the technology by going for electric cars.”
To encourage the concept, free charging points will be provided in May.
“Consumer awareness about electric cars is still low, so people need to be encouraged and motivated to go for this technology,” said Adham Ghandour, GreenParking’s head of sales and projects.
“Some of our car parks are big and some are small, so we will have between one and two chargers. This is apart from Dewa’s plans, but it is our own strategy to raise awareness and make it more popular.”
About 25 car parks in Dubai, four in Abu Dhabi and two in Sharjah will feature the free charging units this year.
“Normally people take two hours in a car park. That is enough to charge – 50 per cent of battery – and is enough to keep you going for the day,” said Mr Alawiye.
The company also urges the use of parking tokens instead of paper tickets.
About 3,670 trees have been saved over the past 10 years in the UAE, since the company began using chips instead of tickets.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
Company%20Profile
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
South Africa squad
: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Race card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m
9.25pm: Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
10.35pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath
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