Dewa opens many charging stations for Dubai electric cars

Dubai - Dewa's hi-tech stations make the charging process easier.

Though electric cars have not taken Dubai by storm, it is slowly, but surely emerging as an alternative means of transport. To encourage more residents to opt for the eco-friendly cars, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has opened many green charging stations in the emirate.
The Dewa has adopted the latest technology in the field that has reduced the time taken to charge cars from hours to just minutes.
The authority opened the first green charging station in February, which saw 16 chargers being installed for public use. Twelve stations were built at the Dewa offices that can charge 24 cars at once. Four charging stations were then opened at the Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai Design District (D3).
The authority will eventually set up three types of charging stations: Fast-charging stations that take 20 to 40 minutes to charge will be installed at petrol stations; medium-charging stations that take two to four hours will be installed in shopping malls, parks and offices; and slow-charging stations that take six to eight hours will be installed in homes.
Electric vehicle owners can visit any of the Dewa's customer service centres to register and get the green charger card. The documents required for registration are Emirates ID, driver's licence and vehicle registration. Customers receive the green charger bills via e-mail.
"The green charger initiative will ... effectively contribute to boosting the spread of electric cars in Dubai, which will decrease the carbon footprint of the emirate," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of the Dewa.
The authority will increase its dependence on electric cars in the near future to support the transition towards green transportation and the move towards green solutions. It recently added eight electric cars to its fleet, becoming the first government organisation in Dubai to use cars that only use batteries.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai