Dubai: UAE roads will open up for electric and hybrid vehicles from next year as the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) has come up with a comprehensive scheme that will cover all aspects of operating and maintaining vehicles powered by alternative energy sources.

Esma has drafted unified regulations and standards for electric vehicles (EVs), which will come into effect from the end of this year and all EVs and hybrid vehicles entering Dubai will have to comply with the new standards from next year, Abdullah Al Muaini, director-general of Esma, told Gulf News on the sidelines of Dubai’s first Future Mobility conference on Sunday.

The two-day conference is being organised by Esma in coordination with Automobile and Touring Club UAE.

The conference aims at making manufacturers aware of the new standards as well as bringing together experts from around the world to discuss future mobility in Dubai.

The UAE is aggressively promoting the use of eco-friendly EVs as part of its effort to reduce the country’s carbon footprint and develop a sustainable economy. However, the country still lacks a federal law to regulate the sale and use of the battery-powered vehicles.

Plugging this gap, Esma is now in the process of not just putting in place standards and regulations but is also looking to create a conducive atmosphere that will encourage use of vehicles powered by clean energy.

“We are looking to take a multi-pronged approach that will include building infrastructure, tackling safety issues, offering incentives for consumers to opt for EVs as well as providing a legal framework and standards for manufacturers and dealers,” added Al Muaini.

The standards will specify the minimum requirements that EVs entering the UAE should meet, including the material used in the batteries, its adaptability to local weather conditions as well as safety levels.

Shedding more light on the regulations that will be applicable across the GCC, Al Muaini said: “What we are looking at the most is the safety of battery, the performance of the vehicle and the charge cycle of the battery. Our main concern is components used in the battery and its performance, particularly in high ambient temperature.”

According to the new regulations, the minimum charge cycle of an EV operating in the UAE should be 250 kilometres running at a speed of 100km/h to 110km/h.

The specifications will also cover the vehicle’s ability to withstand the impact of high levels of humidity as well as the dust and sand storms that are rampant in the region.

Another important aspect that is being looked at is the risk of explosion during an accident, which sceptics claim is higher in an electric-powered vehicle.

“We have laid down stringent safety standards and manufacturers will have to comply with these standards to import their vehicles to the UAE. We want to make sure there is no chance of electric shocks, that is why we are also tapping into the expertise of the Civil Defence so that it is clear what needs to be done during emergencies and how accidents should be tackled,” he said.

Also part of the scheme is the specification for vehicle chargers that will be set up across the country.

“We will be putting in place separate specifications for electric vehicle chargers that will be set up on the streets, in malls and other places. We are looking at rapid DC chargers powered by solar energy. Our idea is to have zero emissions with zero cost as using solar energy to charge will mean almost zero cost of fuelling,” said Al Muaini.

Zero cost will be part of the incentive scheme that is designed to encourage people to go for eco-friendly vehicles, while other incentives could be free parking for EVs, lower registration cost and much more.

Dubai has spearheaded the drive to promote electric vehicles with the launch of EV charging stations as well as putting in place the mechanism and apparatus to inspect and register the vehicles.

According to Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai already has around 200 electric vehicles registered, including around 50 light passenger vehicles, apart from electric-powered construction and commercial vehicles as well as buses.

On Sunday, Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, UAE Minister of Environment and Water, also inaugurated an exhibition of electric and hybrid vehicles that included a Porsche hybrid, a Ferrari hybrid as well a McLaren, apart from dozens of other vehicles.

The exhibition also saw Toyota launching its famed Prius hybrid for the Middle East market as well as unveiling its hydrogen fuel vehicle Mirai.

 

BOX

Key components of draft law

Battery life to have a minimum of 1,000 charging cycles

Electric range or distance travelled per charge to be minimum of 250km at 100km/h-110km/h

No electric shock should result from an impact

All high voltage electric components to be away from passenger cabin

No battery spill till 30 minutes after the impact of accident

Batteries compatible with high ambient temperature of the GCC