Electric vehicle charging station installers must seek Dewa permission

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed on Tuesday issued a directive that will force private and public companies to get approval from the emirate’s utility before establishing, installing, operating or maintaining any EV charging station.

Above, the charging station at Dewa's Dubai headquarters. Pawan Singh / The National
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Companies looking to install an electric vehicle (EV) charging station must obtain approval from the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), according to a new directive.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, on Tuesday issued a directive that will force private and public companies to obtain approval from the emirate’s utility before establishing, installing, operating or maintaining any EV charging station. “The Supreme Council of Energy is working to increase the percentage of electric and hybrid cars in Dubai,” said Ahmad Al Muhairbi, secretary general of the council.

He expects at least 10 per cent of all newly purchased cars to be electric or hybrid between 2016 and 2020. “The proportion of [these] cars will rise 2 per cent by 2020 and 10 per cent by 2030,” he said.

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Charging stations

See list of electric vehicle charging stations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai here.

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Dewa, as the supplier of the power for the charging stations, has set a price of 29 fils per kilowatt hour at public charging stations, while standard slab rates apply at private residences.

Dewa will work with Dubai Municipality and the Roads and Transport Authority to ensure that all stations meet the technical requirements.

Setting up the necessary infrastructure is key to meet the potential rise in demand from the EV and hybrid market.

However, Autodata Middle East believes that hybrids are the immediate future, while EVs will have a longer wait.

“It’s going to be five years before we see electric vehicles in any volumes on the road,” said Bill Carter, head of sales and research at Autodata Middle East. “For EVs to be ubiquitous, the range has to match the spread of charging stations and right now it doesn’t.”

lgraves@thenational.ae

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