Super-Charge! Why Now Is The Right Time To Switch To An EV Or Hybrid

For nearly a decade now, we’ve been saying that the first step to sustainable mobility will start with electric cars. Except now the EV revolution is well and truly upon us. Slowly and steadily, governments have also started announcing that they will be anning ICE car sales in 2035 and carmakers are now into a rat race of adding more and more electric cars into their portfolio.

And the EV revolution isn’t confined to the suited and booted corporate environment of governments and carmaker’s headquarters. Electric car sales are also indicating a paradigm shift the automotive world is witnessing. In 2019, EV sales hit a record high of 2.1 million and it has been going up since then.

Government pushing for EV revolution

While most of the push towards electrification is seen in Europe and the US, the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have also started to transform its transportation system. The KSA has announced an EV30@30 campaign which aims to have 30% of vehicles electrified by 2030 and the UAE will follow the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and electrify 75% of the vehicles in the UAE.

Moreover, the UAE has introduced the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy which states that the range of the electric vehicles must be tested as per the ISO 8714 standard and must provide a range of 150 km. Further laying instructions of charging, it says that the length of the charger must not exceed 7.5m. The strategy also encourages the staff working at a charging infrastructure to be trained with EVs and be well aware of the preventive measures in case something goes wrong. It has been further stated that the UAE looks to have 10% electric or hybrid vehicles on Dubai roads by 2030.

Charging is a big part of promoting EV sales and in order to have sufficient infrastructure, KSA and the UAE are encouraging public-private partnerships and inviting private entities to invest in building charging infrastructure.

Contribution towards environment

Buying an EV or hybrid gives one a sense of satisfaction that they are contributing towards saving the environment and achieving sustainable development. In an EV you can do whatever you did with your petrol car without emitting any CO2. As for hybrids, there is a big myth that they emit nearly as much emissions as a petrol car. That myth is wrong – it has been observed by carmakers worldwide that a hybrid can do 1/3rd of a journey on electric power alone. Bentley announced that on a media drive in California, the Flying Spur Hybrid did 30% of the total journey on electric power alone thereby saving Up to three gallons of fuel per day.

Flurry of EVs and Hybrids from carmakers

All this suggests that the road map for the EV revolution to well and truly kick off has been set. Carmakers have identified it and now we can find some groundbreaking EVs in every segment.

Initially many car makers experimented with EVs but it was Nissan which succeeded to build a competitive electric car with the Leaf. The Leaf showcased to the world that an EV could be affordable.

Toyota has been another prominent player in the EV market but it has done so by launching hybrids like the Prius, Corolla Hybrid and the C-HR SUV. A big plus point of having a hybrid is that you emit less emissions while also having the security of an ICE engine to support you if the battery runs out of charge.

In the premium luxury segment, Audi has released class-leading vehicles like the e-Tron and the e-Tron GT. Gradually we are seeing an increase in electric cars and currently there are some very nice electric cars to choose from.

While the fuel prices in the GCC are still low when compared with other countries, the foray of electric cars and hybrids means people are not inclined towards having an EV or Hybrid as their next car.

How to get the best EV or Hybrid on the market?

However, electric cars are still a new concept and consumers find themselves in no man’s land when it comes to choosing an electric car. To help you in finding the best car we have the New Cars Buyer’s Guide. At YallaMotor’s New Car Buyer’s Guide, you can not only search for an EV or hybrid according to your budget but even compare them with their petrol counterparts available in the same price band. The compare feature will help you find, compare and decide on which new car to buy next.

With EVs and Hybrids gaining market share in the GCC region, now is the right time to make the switch and make your commute eco friendly.