The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently announced the conversion of 90% of all limousines in Dubai to hybrid or electric vehicles by 2026. The importance of going green is evident as many car makers are adding eco-friendly options to their cars for sale in Dubai.
Executed on the instructions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Mahtoum, this initiative aims to cut down power consumption in the UAE in order to sustain the environment. This transformation of limousines into eco-friendly vehicles is the first-of-its-kind initiative worldwide.
This initiative will be completed over the course of 7 years. As per the plan, the number of green limousines will increase from 6% to 10% in the year 2020 and reach 20% by the year 2021. This number will gradually increase to 30% green limousines by 2022, 40% in 2030, 55% in 2024, and finally reach the target of 90% in 2026.
Recently, eco-friendly cars were added to the Dubai Police fleet as well.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Director of RTA stated that “The step is part of a master plan to curb carbon emissions of taxis and limos by two percent 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.”
He also stated that there are about 6500 limousines in Dubai owned by over 100 companies. These limos travel almost 400 km each day, resulting in 44 tons of carbon emissions per year.
He also highlighted that using electric cars can result in about AED 20,000 in financial savings per year with no emissions. Meanwhile, using hybrid cars can lead to almost AED 30,000 in savings and lower emissions by 40%. He went on to say that the RTA will offer a 25% discount for the initial year on the monthly franchise fees on electric vehicles. These vehicles will also have access to bus lanes.
Another initiative by the RTA is to transform 50% of taxis into eco-friendly vehicles by the year 2021.
So, in the near future, we might see many electric cars for sale in Dubai as well. And once you’ve decided to sell, CarSwitch.com offers a great platform to sellers of used cars in Dubai!
