UAE motorists fail to see “full picture” when buying EVs on grey market

UAE motorists fail to see “full picture” when buying EVs on grey market

Customers purchasing electric vehicles on the grey market will end up with variants of models which have not been designed and built for the UAE market, leading to service and financial issues later on

Victor Dalmau, managing director of Volkswagen Middle East

Published: Wed 18 May 2022, 6:08 PM Last updated: Wed 18 May 2022, 6:09 PM

Car enthusiasts that are looking to purchase an electric vehicle (EV) on the UAE’s grey market often fail to grasp the magnitude of the issues they will ultimately end up facing after their purchase.

Like many manufacturers and car dealers, Victor Dalmau, managing director of Volkswagen Middle East, says that he is “very concerned” about customers not being privy to all the information they need in order for them to make an informed decision. “Today, they are buying these cars with partial information.”

Interest in EVs across the Middle East region is increasing, in line with global trends, he noted; in the UAE specifically, this interest is growing fast. When compared to other global markets, Middle Eastern customers are still in the early stages of the adoption of EVs, and heavily influenced by their personal living and financial situation.

“We believe the interest of EVs in the Middle East