Electric vehicles are gradually becoming a popular choice among car owners in the UAE, offering several benefits over traditional combustion engine cars. Owners of these zero-carbon-emission electric vehicles can enjoy incentives such as free parking, no fuel expenses and free charging stations across the UAE. In addition to that, these cars are environment-friendly unlike petrol cars and are not affected by the constantly fluctuating fuel prices.
Interest in electric vehicles in the UAE increased following the introduction of the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Energy’s incentive programme in 2017. This programme aims to increase the sales of EVs in Dubai by 10 percent by 2030 and intends to bring down greenhouse gas emissions by 16% by 2021, decreasing UAE’s overall carbon footprint.
Let’s take a look at some factors that electric vehicle owners and buyers should consider if they drive an electric car in the UAE or are planning to buy one.
Electric Car Range
One of the biggest concerns with electric cars relates to their driving range. “Range anxiety” is an actual term defining the fear that an EV will run out of charge at an inconvenient place, leaving the driver stranded. However, this should not be a problem in the UAE anymore since the country has more than 600 charging stations for electric vehicles. Furthermore, EV battery technology is also continuously evolving and improving, helping create better ranges.
Electric car owners and buyers should be aware of the factors that affect the range of an electric vehicle, such as air-conditioning usage, external temperature, and type of terrain for driving. The effect of these factors on petrol cars is also similar, but it goes unnoticed as gasoline is so readily available.
Electric Car Maintenance
Contrary to common misconception, electric cars are not high maintenance vehicles. They require minimal scheduled maintenance of their electrical systems such as the electrical motor, battery and other related electronics. The low maintenance requirement is mainly because electric vehicles have fewer fluids (like transmission fluid and oils) and moving parts that would need changing or monitoring.
Tips to Improve Battery Life
The batteries in electric vehicles are advanced and are designed to have a long life. However, as with all kinds of electrical equipment, they do eventually wear out. Globally, most manufacturers offer 8-year/100,000-mile warranty for their batteries, while some manufacturers offer additional battery capacity as well. Given below are some tips to improve the battery life of an electric vehicle:
Read the Owner’s Manual
Electric vehicles can vary significantly in terms of design and battery consumption. Maintenance tips that apply to one model may not be applicable to another. Therefore, car owners should always know how to properly operate and maintain their vehicles, as per the manual.
Avoid Hard Braking
Hard brakes are damaging to a car’s tyres, as well as its internal electrical systems. Proper maintenance protocols require car owners to anticipate stops and brake gently. This helps the regenerative braking system in recovering energy from the car’s forward motion and storing it as electricity. On the other hand, hard braking would cause the vehicle to use its conventional friction brakes, which do not recover any energy. This tip is always applicable to EVs, but it becomes even more important in hot weather.
Keep the Battery Charged
Having a fully charged battery helps maximize the range of an electric vehicle. Charging regularly and well in time helps maintain the health of the battery. In addition to that, many electric car companies now offer spare battery packs to extend the range of the car on long trips.
Use Car Accessories Intelligently
Systems such as heating, air conditioning and entertainment can affect the battery usage of an electric car. Using these accessories smartly can help increase the range of the electric vehicle. For instance, before heading out on your journey, it would be a good idea to run the air-conditioning system while the car is plugged to the charger. This would help increase the range of the electric vehicle.
Park in the Shade
High temperatures can put stress on an electric car’s battery by activating the vehicle’s thermal management system. Therefore, whenever possible, car owners should park their electric vehicles in the shade.
Avoid High Speeds
High speeds can drain the battery of an electric car at a faster rate than low speeds. Staying well within the maximum speed limit is always better for the range of the electric vehicle and for avoiding high-speed collisions.
Electric Vehicles are Environment-Friendly
This is perhaps one of the biggest reasons for the increasing popularity of electric vehicles across the globe and in the UAE. With an increased focus on protecting the environment from harmful emissions, electric vehicles are fast becoming the top choice for car owners. Since these cars do not run on petrol or diesel, their environmental impact is quite less. The use of electric vehicles fits perfectly with the UAE’s vision of a sustainable future. Public and private sectors in the country have shown a strong commitment to help decrease the country’s carbon emissions by 16% by 2021.
Incentives for EV Buyers and Owners in the UAE
The Ministry of Energy in the UAE launched a comprehensive incentive programme for electric car buyers and owners in 2017. This programme is designed to encourage people to buy electric cars by offering green bank loans, insurance plans and green registration for electric cars in the UAE. Let us look at some of the major incentives offered as part of this programme:
- Free green parking in designated areas
- Free charging stations
- Free vehicle registration and renewal fees
- Discounts available on buying new electric vehicles
- Green points system to award motorists who use vehicles that do not emit harmful gases
- Free Salik tag
How to Sell Your Old Vehicle to Buy a New EV?
Electric vehicles are gradually becoming popular in the UAE’s automobile industry. The increased demand for EVs is largely driven by the fact that electric cars have better technological features, can deliver an excellent economy and are environment friendly. On top of it all, electric vehicles are not affected by the ever-fluctuating fuel prices in the UAE. With such benefits, electric vehicles are certainly an ideal alternative to traditional cars.
If you are among the many people now considering switching to electric cars, SellAnyCar.com can be of assistance in selling your used car in just 30 minutes. SellAnyCar.com is the largest car buying company in the UAE that makes selling a used car 100% hassle-free. You can sell any used car to SellAnyCar.com at a fair price in just 30 minutes, regardless of the age, condition, make or model of the vehicle. Once the used car is sold to SellAnyCar.com at a good price, customers can easily purchase the electric vehicle that suits their needs the best.
If you are planning to sell your combustion engine car to buy a fuel-efficient hybrid or EV, then don’t forget that with us, you can sell any used car in just 30 minutes while all the post-sale paperwork is handled by SellAnyCar.com’s team.
