Range anxiety, accessibility pose concerns for EV adoption in the UAE

Range anxiety, accessibility pose concerns for EV adoption in the UAE

Demand for electric vehicles (EV) in the UAE is accelerating with infrastructure development, customer readiness and government initiatives emerging as the key drivers, but range anxiety continues to throw up roadblocks.

For Nabeel Naseer, the idea of investing in an EV as his primary car is still in its infancy, citing his daily commute as the main deterrent.

“I spend hours in gridlock almost daily doing the drive from my home in Sharjah to my place of work in Dubai. Where is the time or the means to charge an EV along the way? Most of the older communities in Sharjah and Dubai don’t have access to charging stations. And if you happen to find one near your workplace, what happens when you come home and are low on charge? You don’t want the battery to run out on the morning commute,” said Nasser.

Nasser’s concern echoes that of many who cite range anxiety, referring to the fear of a vehicle running out of charge before reaching its destination, as a hurdle that needs to be overcome. In recent months, the UAE unveiled a string of initiatives to facilitate EV penetration in the market.

Market readiness

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure