Go hybrid!

Dubai - Some small versions currently available in the UAE have a starting price of Dh76,000.

At the moment, hybrid and electric cars have yet to be widely available in the UAE. But with the announcement that the price of oil in the UAE will be deregulated, automobile manufacturers will likely begin marketing electric and hybrid vehicles to UAE motorists as an economical alternative.
Within hours of the announcement, for example, Nissan Middle East sent a tweet which read: "#Petrol prices are set to rise in the #UAE? No problem! Drive the all new #Hybrid #Pathfinder."
But despite being cheaper to run over time, many electric and hybrid cars come with a higher price tag than their fully combustion-engine counterparts.
Some small versions currently available in the UAE have a starting price of Dh76,000.
Sedans, on the other hand, are considerably pricier. Among the available models in the UAE is a 403-horsepower, four-door model with a starting price of Dh500,000. A comparable combustion-engine model from another brand costs Dh410,000.
A similar hybrid model is currently on sale for between Dh485,000 and Dh550,000, while the combustion-engine variant of the same car only costs Dh383,300.
bernd@khaleejtimes.com