Rising fuel prices in UAE: Meet the residents opting for electric vehicles to cut costs

Rising fuel prices in UAE: Meet the residents opting for electric vehicles to cut costs

“The time my car was delivered coincided with the rise in fuel prices. Suddenly, mine became the family car. It was used to drop my siblings to school, for grocery shopping, for long drives and pretty much everything else. I have had the car for a little over two months and it has already done over 9,000km. I am wondering who the gift really was for."

Kevin Chalhoub, CEO and Founder of EV Lab, said the EV industry has shifted considerably since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Between 2020 and 2021, the number of electric cars doubled, making EV one of the very few industries that grew during the pandemic," he said. “Even at the beginning of 2020, there weren’t many EV options available. Now, consumers are spoilt for choice. Apart from many leading car makers, like Audi, Porsche and GM, making electric vehicles, there are new entrants in the field. In fact, this is probably the most exciting period in the automotive industry since the car was invented.”

Rafeeq Siddiqui, 74, switched to an EV last year. “I have driven pretty much every car on the market and there were none that stood out to me,” he said. “I began reading up about electric