Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular. But how realistic is it to own and drive one in Abu Dhabi and what does the future of the industry look like?

In 2016, the UAE announced that it would draft specific laws governing the use of electric vehicles. A forecast by Bloomberg showed that electric vehicles (EV) are set to outsell fuel-powered ones within the next two decades.

“People are now looking at alternative ways to power their cars for a myriad of reasons including cost, convenience and sustainability,” reveals Mario Spangenberg, president and managing director of General Motors in the MENA region.

“EVs require reduced maintenance and offer the convenience of starting each day with a full tank after a recharge at home. Electric vehicles deliver immediate torque, which makes them very responsive to acceleration.”

One Abu Dhabi resident who champions EVs is Joerg Zinn, who has been driving a Tesla Model S for two years. “It’s really easy to drive. In terms of function, it’s easier to navigate and you don’t have a lot of buttons. It’s cheaper than having to load up with fuel.”

Charging the Model S’s drained battery takes around three and a half hours, something that Joerg regularly does after coming home from work. “That’s another beauty of it: you can just plug it in overnight and in the morning you have a full tank.”

The UAE alone predicts that 90 percent of vehicles on its roads will be electric-powered by 2035. Currently, local authorities are working to install sufficient charging stations across the country to service EVs. In Abu Dhabi, charging stations include Yas Island, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, The Galleria and the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort.

“I believe it’s a new lifestyle, which shows that you can actually drive without polluting the environment,” says Joerg. “Clean transportation, without pollution, the smell and the noise, is very much a necessity now.”

WORDS Ferdinand Godinez