Leading the Charge: Why EVs are the Future for the UAE

If the UAE is to reach the ambitious government targets of 50 percent electric vehicles (EVs) on the country’s roads by 2050, cooperation between the public and private sector will be essential.

The National Electric Vehicles Policy, released in 2023, set a target of 50 percent EVs on the road and highlighted major steps taken across the UAE to boost EV adoption. From the launch of the Global EV Market project, which aims to get automotive brands involved in selling EVs and investing in charging and service infrastructure, through to regulations for rolling out EV chargers at a fair price in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai government’s commitment to procuring more EVs, the policy is wide-ranging and, crucially, encourages serious involvement – and investment – from the private sector.   

At the Third Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit, held in Abu Dhabi last May, Sharif Al Olama, Under-Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said the UAE government plays ‘an active part in increasing the penetration of EVs by building an integrated charging station network linking all emirates’.

He added that to achieve this, ‘we are collaborating with stakeholders from the private sector to increase investment in the infrastructure of the electric charging network through various financing mechanisms that serve all concerned parties.’

‘We can see a growing appetite for EVs in the local market,’ Al Olama continued. ‘People are displaying a stronger sense of responsibility towards the environment and want to make eco-friendly choices.’

Al-Futtaim Powers the Future with NEVs

This is where companies such as Al-Futtaim Automotive are stepping up to help the UAE transition from dependency on petrol-powered cars to widespread adoption of zero-emissions alternatives. On the occasion of World EV Day, Antoine Barthes, Vice-President, Al-Futtaim Automotive, highlights his pride in being involved in the exciting changes expected in the coming years, while also emphasising the company’s long history of helping drivers switch to greener vehicles. 

‘In 2008, Al-Futtaim Automotive planted the seeds of a green revolution when we pioneered alternate propulsion in the UAE, launching hybrid electric vehicles in collaboration with Toyota,’ he said.

In the same year, Al-Futtaim handed over a new fleet of 554 Toyota Camry Electric Hybrids to the Dubai Taxi Corporation, contributing to a 44 percent increase in electric hybrid fleets across UAE taxi companies.

Fast-forward 16 years and Barthes says that Al-Futtaim has diversified its portfolio, so there are EVs to cater to the wide range of customer needs, such as high-performance Polestars, advanced electric Volvo family cars, and BYD, which leads the world in accessible, high-quality zero-emissions motoring.

As well as passenger cars, Al-Futtaim introduced the first Volvo heavy-duty electric trucks and construction machinery to the region and next year, they will be debuting River, the electric two-wheeler brand in the UAE.

Fleet customers are playing an important part in the UAE’s green mobility revolution too, according to Barthes: ‘Recently, Al-Futtaim Electric Mobility Company signed a partnership with e& (formerly Etisalat) to integrate BYD electric vehicles into their fleet.’

‘Also, it’s important to remember that the electric transition requires a huge shift, and hybrids as well as plug-in hybrids play an important role in taking that first step towards greener mobility,’ Barthes points out, citing Toyota, Lexus, Honda and BYD as Al-Futtaim brands with hybrid options.

The demand for cleaner, greener personal transport is certainly present in the UAE, according to Barthes: ‘Almost two-thirds of UAE residents want to make EV, their primary mode of transport by the year 2025, according to a survey carried out by Al-Futtaim Automotive, in partnership with YouGov, which collated responses from just over 2,000 respondents.’

Charging the Path to EV Growth

But for Al-Futtaim, playing its part in moving towards an electric transport future is not limited to offering consumers a wide choice of low- and zero-emission vehicles. Barthes says this is where public-private partnerships, such as those advocated by Al Olama, are so important.

‘We know mass adoption of electrified vehicles can only be achieved through an ecosystem approach – charging and aftersales represent key components of this ecosystem,’ Barthes explains.

While the UAE is not as geographically large as the US or Australia, concerns about EVs stopping on quiet desert highways is understandable. For the government’s part, it is incentivising private companies to expand the availability of charging stations across the UAE.

Charging infrastructure is essential to widespread EV adoption. Range anxiety – the fear of your EV charge running out before you reach your destination – can put potential buyers off giving up their petrol engines.

‘We launched our own charging solution, Charge2Moov,’ says Barthes. ‘We’re providing end-to-end support for EV customers as part of our commitment to a complete EV ecosystem.’

The Charge2Moov solution offers efficient, reliable, user-friendly home charging for EVs that can be included as part of the financing when buying a car. Barthes says that since launching in March, Al-Futtaim is ‘making steady progress toward our goal of installing 10 per cent of the UAE’s charging infrastructure by 2030.’ He describes the investment in Charge2Moov as ‘testament to our commitment to making electric vehicles more accessible and practical for both residential and commercial users.’

As well as rolling out home chargers, Barthes says that Al-Futtaim has launched the region’s first electric mobility training centre for EV technicians that is accredited by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI): ‘By training technicians and aftersales teams, we are laying the groundwork for sustained growth in EV adoption.’

‘We are focusing on empowering people for the automotive jobs of the future,’ Barthes explains. ‘The mobility training centre plays a pivotal role in our ecosystem by ensuring that the UAE has the necessary expertise to support the growing EV market.’

As well as training technicians to serve passenger car customers, Al-Futtaim is working with government entities, adds Barthes: ‘Our training centre is serving the country and the community – we are training technical crews from the public sector, such as Dubai Police and the fire department, especially on the safety aspects of battery-operated vehicles.’

Looking ahead, Barthes stresses Al-Futtaim’s ongoing commitment to green mobility partnerships, especially with government stakeholders: ‘We have consistently partnered with key government stakeholders such as Dubai Police, Roads & Transport Authority, Cars Taxi and major corporate and SMEs on their fleet electrification strategies to ensure we continue driving sustainability across the industry and across the country.’

‘The UAE government is committed to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, which aligns perfectly with our mission,’ says Barthes, emphasising that Al-Futtaim Automotive is joining the government in contributing to the ambitious green targets.

‘We’re committed to increase the share of New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sales to 50 percent by 2030, and we’re striving to advance sustainable transportation infrastructure by installing 10 percent of the UAE’s EV charging stations within the same timeframe,’ he says. ‘Our pledge, taken in front of the world during COP28, represents significant strides toward achieving net-zero carbon emissions in the UAE by 2050.’

To learn more, visit Al-Futtaim.com