Infrastructure
The GCC region is currently witnessing the emergence of electric and hybrid modes of transportation, most notably in the
UAE, according to the Transport
Research Laboratory (TRL), a
leading transport consultancy
and research firm. The company has further pointed out that
pioneering users of this new
modes of transportation include
GCC governments that are in
the process of offering green
public transportation solutions
and business enterprises that
have started to operate an
electric powered fleet of vehicles. The development complements the results of the recent
United Nations COP21 Climate
Change Summit in Paris, which
highlighted the need to cut
greenhouse gasses, such as
CO2, by as much as 80 per cent
in many countries by 2020. In response to this call, the UAE has
welcomed the COP21 accord
to cap global warming--leaving
strong assurance of a highly renewable and sustainable future.
According to TRL, the substantial adoption of electrified powertrain vehicles plays a critical
role in the move to meet air
quality and emission targets.
The proportion of these Electrified Vehicles (EVs) are set to
increase in the next few months
and it is highly recommended
that we take the cue from countries that have adopted these
new transport modes to learn
more about these vehicle solutions. As such, TRL has identified this emerging market’s key
drivers, which includes vehicle
availability; government incentives to purchase and charge
vehicles; network of charging
stations; public awareness and
the desire to ‘go green.’ Dubai
has actually been witnessing
the initial presence of a few EVs
and have already established
an initial network of around
100 charging stations. In addition, select manufacturers
have already expressed their
move to introduce hybrid or
fully electric models in the UAE.
“TRL has long been pursuing
an electric vehicle (EV) program of research and we have
initially implemented a technology agnostic approach to all
of our work-- forming objective
views based on the evidence
and facts we uncover through
our research,” said Akin Adamson, Director Middle East Region, TRL. “Our goals in our EV
research program is to identify
the technologies that are likely
to provide the biggest benefits
under different conditions and
develop an understanding of
how the real-world use of these
technologies may be affected by
user and consumer behavior.”
Recent reports have clearly
shown that transport infrastructure, particularly the internal
combustion engine, are significant contributors to poor air
quality, especially in urban environments. EVs offer an ideal
solution for tackling current air
quality problems as they provide zero tailpipe emissions,
as well as grid-to-wheel CO2
emissions already below most
internal combustion engine vehicles. However, current EVs
are far more suited to short, urban journeys rather than inter-
News
urban and rural use. Range and
utilization are constrained by
battery limitations and charging
times, so for longer journeys on
strategic roads or outside of cities, EVs are often not yet practical. This issue will be one of the
topics to be discussed at Solar
Middle East, the most comprehensive gathering of solar technology suppliers in the region,
which will be held from March 1
to March 3, 2016 at the Dubai
World Trade Centre (DWTC).
During the event, Adamson
will be part of a panel discussion entitled, ‘Are we there yet?
Electric transportation commercial and regulatory outlooks.’
The event runs in strategic partnership with the Government
of Dubai and supported by a
network of key regional associations, Solar ME provides direct, established access to MENA’s emerging solar markets.
“Regardless of the method chosen to achieve electrification,
the concept of recharging vehicles on the move, combined
with other initiatives, could play
an important role in helping
many regions to achieve their
vision of becoming smart, connected and sustainable. In line
with this, TRL remains steadfast
in its commitment to provide
key analysis, data and strategic
reports to help these governments in their efforts to adopt
sustainable and green modes of
transport,” concluded Adamson.
February 2016
23