The next time someone hails a taxi in Dubai, they could find themselves getting into Tesla after fifty of the all-electric cars were added to Dubai Taxi Corporation’s limo fleet on Sunday.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chief executive of Emirates Airline & Group, and chairman of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, launched the fleet which includes two models, S from Sedan and X from SUVs, and are capable of self-driving.
The Roads and Transport Authority ordered 200 vehicles from Tesla in February at the World Government Summit.
Seventy-five vehicles will be delivered next year and the remaining 75 are expected to follow in 2019.
Ahmed bin Saeed marks official deployment of 50 Tesla electric vehicles to #Dubai Taxi Corporation fleet pic.twitter.com/ArpdMhLrAH
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 17, 2017
“Dubai Taxi Corporation has coordinated with the concerned parties to provide the needed infrastructure to ensure the operation of these vehicles including the provision of 13 electric recharging stations,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads & Transport Authority.
He said Model S had the greatest possible safety rating at the time of launch and can cover the longest distance of all electic vehicles.
“Model X has a unique feature as it is fitted with falcon wing doors, panoramic windshield, a seven-seat configuration that provides an unprecedented level of comfort, and manoeuvrability,” said Mr Tayer.
Video: Ahmed bin Saeed marks official deployment of 50 Tesla electric vehicles to #Dubai Taxi fleet@RTA_Dubai pic.twitter.com/jXmNVuLIEi
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 17, 2017
Both models are capable of self-driving “at a safety level greater than that of a human driver.”
Tesla’s Autopilot is designed as a hands-on experience to give drivers more confidence behind the wheel, increase their safety on the road, and make highway driving more enjoyable by reducing the driver’s workload, Mr Al Tayer said.
The introduction of the cars to the fleet contributes to the goal of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to transform the emirate into the smartest city in the world.
It is also inline with the Green Economy for Sustainable Development Initiative of, and Dubai Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy aimed at converting 25 per cent of total journeys into driverless journeys by 2030.
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Read more:
[ Middle East's first Tesla showroom launches in Dubai ]
[ Tesla announces UAE launch at World Government Summit — in pictures ]
[ Elon Musk launches Tesla in the UAE ]
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