Sitting in the middle of the Adnec car park was a large Mercedes display and a row of cars, all being shined and cleaned by a team of workers under the early morning haze. But this was no ordinary show of the German firm's usual wares; they weren't meant to appeal to the UAE's petrolheads, simply because these cars don't need a drop of petrol; they are electric powered.
The Smart fortwo Electric Drive and the A-Class E-Cell are both plug-in electric cars, already undergoing real-world testing in Europe. And apart from a showy paintjob, they look and feel just like their petrol-powered siblings, both inside and out.
"We want the electric car to look like a normal car," said Dr Andreas Jost, the manager of Mercedes' electric drivetrain controls. "They don't need to look like a bubble car from the future, our customers aren't interested in that. And they need to be as satisfying to drive as a normal car."
Mercedes was offering short drives to the public to show exactly how normal these cars are. And, for the most part, they really are like anything you'd expect to find on the roads here in the UAE.
Apart from, of course, the silence. Getting behind the wheel of the E-Cell, I turned the key to on and got nothing. "It's ready to go," said my guide in the passenger seat. I softly pressed the accelerator and the little four-door slowly got under way, with little more than a quiet whine from the motor. It was a very eerie feeling.
But the car accelerates normally, and amid the quick traffic of Khaleej al Arabi, it didn't disappoint. The soft whine is replaced with normal tyre and wind noise, and I soon forgot that I was driving an EV. It handles well, bobbing in and out of lanes with ease, it brakes normally and it is as comfortable as any Mercedes, along with room for four adults and cargo. And, with 50kW (67hp), it's not exactly scintillating, but it's enough to get around in a very reasonable fashion.
It's only as we got back onto the smaller streets and came to a traffic signal that I remembered again what I was driving. The E-Cell slowed and glided silently to a stop at the red light, sitting as if the engine was turned off. Of course, there is no engine. And, with full torque coming on instantly (as with all electric motors), it pulled away from the light easily. With an ideal range of 255km, this is a car that would be more than enough for city commuting. (The Smart has a range of 120km)
Jürgen Buhmann, in charge of international testing of Mercedes's electric cars, explained why the company is only leasing 500 of the E-Cells and 1,200 of the Smart electrics.
"We are only leasing them and not selling them because we don't know yet how they will be in five or six years, so we don't want our customers to be dissatisfied. We want to keep perfect service for our customers."
With a car and an attitude like that, I only wish I had the opportunity to drive one more often here.
Jawan
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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.
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 3 (Kroos 4', Ramos 30', Marcelo 37')
Eibar 1 (Bigas 60')
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.