Dubai records 59% surge in EV charging sessions in 2023

Dubai recorded a 59 percent year-on-year increase in electric vehicle (EV) charging sessions last year, as green mobility rapidly accelerates in the emirate.

The EV green charger initiative recorded 1,145,427 charging sessions in 2023, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said in a statement.  

Through this initiative, the Dubai utility provider provided 23419.821 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity for charging EVs from 2015 to the end of 2023, powering a cumulative EV distance of 117 million km.

• SUVs drive UAE car sales but motorists gear up to go green
• Dubai electric bike firm plans UAE expansion
• Dubai EV maker pulls out of $500m Chinese deal

The UAE has one of the highest number of charging stations per EV in the world. Dubai has seen an increase in the use of EVs since 2015, reaching 25,929 by 2023-end. The number of EV owners registered under the initiative rose from 14 in 2015 to more than 13,959 by the end of December 2023.

“We are committed to advancing the UAE’s efforts to achieve net zero. This is by lowering the carbon footprint in the transport sector, reducing energy consumption in the transport sector by 40 percent, reducing carbon emissions by 10 million tonnes by 2050, and increasing the share of EVs to 50 percent of the total vehicles on UAE roads by 2050,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dewa.

As part of its efforts to encourage environmentally friendly EVs, Dewa has deployed 382 EV green charging stations across the emirates, with many chargers having dual charging outlets.