UAE: Electric vehicles necessary for growth of smart, sustainable cities, says Masdar official

UAE: Electric vehicles necessary for growth of smart, sustainable cities, says Masdar official

Electric vehicles are necessary for smart and sustainable cities to grow, Masdar City’s head of master planning said during the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit (EVIS) 2023 that is currently underway in Abu Dhabi.

The event sheds light on the latest EV innovations, creative solutions, and challenges that stand in the way of a mass transition to electric vehicles.

During a presentation titled: ‘Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Development in the Middle East’, Lukas Sokol noted that Masdar City has incorporated electric vehicles in its mobility infrastructure to support its vision of a healthy, modern, and eco-friendly city. In 2008, the city introduced its personal rapid transport (PRT) electric vehicles, which transport passengers in four-person pods on an underground track from the city’s North Car Park to the downtown core, called the podium. They were considered the first publicly accessible autonomous EVs.

“We refer to the first-generation PRT as the history of the future. It has been in operation for 15 years and has carried over two million people.”

The use of EVs at Masdar City continued to evolve. The second generation of PRT, called Navya, transports people on top of the podium, which is car-free, and interacts with the public realm.

“We are still exploring PRT 3.0,