Dubai: DesignLine Corporation, USA, the developer and manufacturer of electric and hybrid vehicles, has appointed Liberty Automobiles as the exclusive dealer for its electric and hybrid buses in the UAE.
DesignLine claims to be the world’s first and only manufacturer whose fully electric, zero-emission buses are in daily operation. These buses run up to 160 km on a single charge.
DesignLine's strategy is to market its new-generation electric and hybrid buses in the Middle East, as the region is increasingly looking for eco-friendly public transportation systems in an effort to reduce carbon footprint and eliminate vehicular pollution.
Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Qasimi, Chairman of Liberty Investment Company, said: "We are delighted to represent DesignLine, a company that is spearheading a revolution in public transportation through electric and hybrid buses. We share DesignLine's passion for introducing clean, pollution-free buses, as electric vehicles hold the key to green cities, and recent developments worldwide indicate that governments will increasingly switch to carbon-neutral vehicles sooner than later."
Duncan Peat, Managing Director of Liberty Automobiles, commented: "As a major automobile dealer with showrooms, state-of-the-art after-sales facilities and offices across the UAE, we are ideally placed to market the new-concept buses. In the medium term, we will also explore the potential to manufacture these buses in the UAE as demand from the region is expected to grow."
DesignLine Corporation has supplied two electric buses, known as the Eco-Smart I, to Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) and are currently in daily operation on Sir Bani Yas Island.
"The appointment of Liberty Automobiles as the exclusive dealer for UAE reflects DesignLine's longterm strategy to enter the Gulf region through a company that has successfully represented top US automobile brands for nearly 35 years," said Brad Glosson, CEO, DesignLine Corporation.
"DesignLine electric vehicles are the world's only zero-emission vehicles that are deployed for daily passenger service, proving that we don’t make just concept buses," added Glosson. "Our batteries are easy to charge and fully recyclable at the end of their life, and the drive-train is based on DesignLine’s proven and proprietary system.
"DesignLine believes there are abundant opportunities for operational expansion in the Middle East, with potential buyers in the region showing keen interest in our electric and hybrid bus technology. Through the expertise of an award-winning dealership like Liberty Automobiles, we are confident of making new inroads into the promising Middle East markets," said Glosson.
DesignLine Corporation has launched a regional subsidiary, DesignLine Middle East, based in Jordan. Its buses are in use in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Auckland, Melbourne and now Abu Dhabi.
