Latest news with #HichamEzzahid
The National
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- The National
UAE's largest electric-only recharging station to open this year
The electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in the UAE is set for a boost later this year with the opening of a charging hub which will provide what has been described as a super-premium experience beyond standard stationary charging stands. Developed by UAEV, the country's dedicated EV charging company, the site is expected to be the first of its kind in UAE and will feature green landscaping, fountains and an automatic queuing system, combining sustainability with sleek user design. The hub is capable of servicing 20 EVs simultaneously and is expected to launch before the end of 2025. While further details of the hub will be unveiled at an official announcement expected in the next two months, The National can reveal that the first hub will launch in Ajman this year, with another to follow in Dubai in 2026. "This is a first-of-its-kind in the UAE," said Hicham Ezzahid, chief executive of UAEV, speaking at the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit (EVIS) taking place this week in Abu Dhabi. Through the "flagship hub", Mr Ezzahid hopes to see EV charging become more of an experience than a utility. Heiko Seitz, global and Middle East eMobility leader at PwC, told The National that such experiential establishments are important in creating educational awareness. "People need to be aware that this is actually a positive product, a product that gives them a certain lifestyle, that gives them convenience," said Mr Seitz. Mr Seitz said such hubs will serve as a showcase for the industry, which could encourage further electric vehicle adoption. "They're going to be like flagships for the industry, where people see cars charging and say, 'that actually works. I can do that as well'," he said. "These things are important for the consumer, and they're an important blueprint for other investors. And, other charge point investors will want to follow suit." The hub is part of UAEV's broader goal to install 1,000 public charging stations able to cater to varying numbers of vehicles across all seven emirates by 2030. More than 95 per cent of these are planned to be high-speed units, with next-generation ultra-fast chargers capable of delivering a full top-up in as little as 10 minutes in newer electric vehicle models. Currently charge time can vary, depending on the vehicle and charging station, from 18 minutes to eight hours. In 2024, UAEV rolled out 120 new charging ports across the northern emirates. This year, another 200 ports are planned, mainly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. To support electric vehicle adoption, UAEV has signed a new agreement with AW Rostamani Group, the automotive distributor behind Chinese EV brand Zeekr and the modernised Smart car line-up. Under the partnership, new buyers of Zeekr and Smart vehicles will receive charging credits redeemable across UAEV's network. Mr Seitz said this strategy is seen in Tesla models in the US, which offer free supercharging to encourage adoption. In December, UAEV announced that it had set tariffs for the faster Direct Current (DC) chargers at Dh1.2 per kilowatt-hour, and for Alternating Current (AC) chargers at Dh0.7 per kilowatt-hour. Sandeep Arora, director of strategy and business excellence at AWR, said the deal reflects a market that is rapidly moving towards an EV tipping point. "If you look at the global trends, there is always a tipping point when the acceptance of electric cars increases. We believe that tipping point is the moment one fifth of the cars sold in the market are electric cars," he said. "Electric car numbers have grown by five times in the last five years. We believe the tipping point – where EV adoption really takes off – is just a couple of years away." Electric vehicle penetration in the UAE started to take off in 2023, with a sharp increase in the number of EVs making up the number of cars on the Emirates' roads to 11 per cent in 2023, up from 3.7 per cent the previous year. "We already have close to 150,000 electric vehicles on the roads of UAE." said Mr Seitz. Launched in May 2024, with an initial capital investment of Dh60 million, UAEV's primary purpose is to develop and expand a fast and accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Range anxiety, the term which refers to fears about how far a vehicle can travel without running out of battery, and the time it takes to charge a vehicle, remain the two main barriers on the way to EV adoption. Mr Ezzahid told The National that the company's strategy is not just to increase the number of stations, but to distribute them evenly enough to eliminate range anxiety. Both Mr Ezzahid and Mr Arora agree that the electric vehicle market in the UAE is moving faster than expected, and that electric vehicles could make up 30 per cent of cars on the roads ahead of the government's 2030 target. Mr Seitz, meanwhile, notes that the market has already reached a certain level of maturity. He adds that mass adoption will come when more charging infrastructure is rolled out.
Al Bawaba
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- Al Bawaba
UAE to launch first EV-only charging station in 2025
Published April 23rd, 2025 - 08:00 GMT ALBAWABA - UAEV, the UAE's first government-owned electric vehicle (EV) charging network, has announced the launch of the country's first dedicated electric vehicle-only charging station, set to open in 2025. The company also plans to roll out approximately 1,000 charging stations across the country by 2030. UAEV launches first ever EV-only charging station As electric vehicle adoption continues to grow in the United Arab Emirates, UAEV has announced the launch of its first-ever EV-only charging station in the country, set to open this year. The network also plans to roll out over 1,000 charging stations across the UAE by 2030. According to the company, the station will feature green landscaping, fountains, and an automatic queuing system. It will be able to accommodate approximately 20 EVs at a time and is set to launch in Ajman later this year, with another station expected to open in Dubai in 2026. Hicham Ezzahid, chief executive of UAEV, stated: 'This is a first-of-its-kind in the UAE.' Heiko Seitz, global and Middle East eMobility leader at PwC, commented: 'People need to be aware that this is actually a positive product, a product that gives them a certain lifestyle, that gives them convenience.'UAEV aims to provide high-speed EV charging units equipped with next-generation ultra-fast chargers, capable of delivering a seamless charging experience in as little as 10 minutes. Significantly faster than the current charging times, which range from approximately 18 minutes to eight hours. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
The National
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- The National
UAE's first flagship EV charging hub to launch this year
The electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in the UAE is set for a boost later this year with the opening of a charging hub which will provide what has been described as a super-premium experience beyond standard stationary charging stands. Developed by UAEV, the country's dedicated EV charging company, the site will feature green landscaping, fountains and an automatic queuing system, combining sustainability with sleek user design. The hub is capable of servicing 20 EVs simultaneously and is expected to launch before the end of 2025. While further details of the hub will be unveiled at an official announcement expected in the next two months, The National can reveal that the first hub will launch in Ajman this year, with another to follow in Dubai in 2026. "This is a first-of-its-kind in the UAE," said Hicham Ezzahid, chief executive of UAEV, speaking at the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit (EVIS) taking place this week in Abu Dhabi. Through the "flagship hub", Mr Ezzahid hopes to see EV charging become more of an experience than a utility. Heiko Seitz, global and Middle East eMobility leader at PwC, told The National that such experiential establishments are important in creating educational awareness. "People need to be aware that this is actually a positive product, a product that gives them a certain lifestyle, that gives them convenience," said Mr Seitz. Mr Seitz said such hubs will serve as a showcase for the industry, which could encourage further electric vehicle adoption. "They're going to be like flagships for the industry, where people see cars charging and say, 'that actually works. I can do that as well'," he said. "These things are important for the consumer, and they're an important blueprint for other investors. And, other charge point investors will want to follow suit." The hub is part of UAEV's broader goal to install 1,000 public charging stations able to cater to varying numbers of vehicles across all seven emirates by 2030. More than 95 per cent of these are planned to be high-speed units, with next-generation ultra-fast chargers capable of delivering a full top-up in as little as 10 minutes in newer electric vehicle models. Currently charge time can vary, depending on the vehicle and charging station, from 18 minutes to eight hours. In 2024, UAEV rolled out 120 new charging stations across the northern emirates. This year, another 200 stations are planned, mainly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. To support electric vehicle adoption, UAEV has signed a new agreement with AW Rostamani Group, the automotive distributor behind Chinese EV brand Zeekr and the modernised Smart car line-up. Under the partnership, new buyers of Zeekr and Smart vehicles will receive charging credits redeemable across UAEV's network. Mr Seitz said this strategy is seen in Tesla models in the US, which offer free supercharging to encourage adoption. In December, UAEV announced that it had set tariffs for the faster Direct Current (DC) chargers at Dh1.2 per kilowatt-hour, and for Alternating Current (AC) chargers at Dh0.7 per kilowatt-hour. Sandeep Arora, director of strategy and business excellence at AWR, said the deal reflects a market that is rapidly moving towards an EV tipping point. "If you look at the global trends, there is always a tipping point when the acceptance of electric cars increases. We believe that tipping point is the moment one fifth of the cars sold in the market are electric cars," he said. "Electric car numbers have grown by five times in the last five years. We believe the tipping point – where EV adoption really takes off – is just a couple of years away." Electric vehicle penetration in the UAE started to take off in 2023, with a sharp increase in the number of EVs making up the number of cars on the Emirates' roads to 11 per cent in 2023, up from 3.7 per cent the previous year. "We already have close to 150,000 electric vehicles on the roads of UAE." said Mr Seitz. Launched in May 2024, with an initial capital investment of Dh60 million, UAEV's primary purpose is to develop and expand a fast and accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Range anxiety, the term which refers to fears about how far a vehicle can travel without running out of battery, and the time it takes to charge a vehicle, remain the two main barriers on the way to EV adoption. Mr Ezzahid told The National that the company's strategy is not just to increase the number of stations, but to distribute them evenly enough to eliminate range anxiety. Both Mr Ezzahid and Mr Arora agree that the electric vehicle market in the UAE is moving faster than expected, and that electric vehicles could make up 30 per cent of cars on the roads ahead of the government's 2030 target. Mr Seitz, meanwhile, notes that the market has already reached a certain level of maturity. He adds that mass adoption will come when more charging infrastructure is rolled out.
Arabian Business
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Arabian Business
UAEV partners with AW Rostamani to boost electric vehicle adoption
Emarat EV Charging Stations Company (UAEV), a joint venture between the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) and Etihad Water and Electricity (Etihad WE), has signed a strategic agreement with AW Rostamani Group (AWR Group) to enhance the charging experience for electric vehicle customers across the UAE. The agreement, signed on the sidelines of EVIS 2025 (Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit), further reinforces the UAE's commitment to accelerating sustainable mobility and future-ready transport solutions. UAEV and AWR Group collaborate AWR Group is the exclusive distributor of Zeekr and smart vehicles in the UAE, managing both sales and after-sales services for the two next-generation electric vehicle brands. The agreement envisages the AWR Group offering charging credits to customers who buy Zeekr and smart electric vehicles, leveraging the UAEV's network across the UAE. These credits can be easily activated through the UAEV app and used at any UAEV station across the country, the company said. Hicham Ezzahid, CEO of UAEV, said the partnership marks a significant milestone in the company's mission to make electric vehicle adoption easier, more rewarding, and truly accessible for everyone in the UAE. 'Strategic partnerships like this are essential to building long-term consumer trust in electric transportation. When infrastructure and innovation move in lockstep, adoption becomes a natural outcome,' he said. Sanaa Ouahmane, CEO of the Mobility Services division at AW Rostamani Group, said the Group is committed to supporting the UAE's vision for a net-zero future. 'This partnership with UAEV addresses a critical market need for robust charging infrastructure, enabling the adoption of electric vehicles across the country,' Ouahmane said. Supporting net-zero vision The collaboration also aims to directly support the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategy and National Electric Vehicles Policy by enhancing accessibility and convenience for EV drivers, while promoting the adoption of climate-smart transportation solutions. Collectively, these efforts are projected to reduce over 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ by 2030. With 122 charging ports already operational, including numerous ultra-fast chargers, and plans to reach 300 by the end of 2025, UAEV is the largest EV network in the Northern Emirates and continues to expand nationwide. Charging constraints and range anxiety have long been barriers to wider EV adoption in the UAE. Through this collaboration, AWR Group and UAEV are jointly addressing these challenges, the companies said.
Hi Dubai
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Hi Dubai
UAEV and AW Rostamani Team Up to Supercharge EV Charging Across the UAE
Emarat EV Charging Stations Company (UAEV), a joint venture between the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and Etihad Water and Electricity, has signed a strategic agreement with AW Rostamani Group (AWR Group) to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles nationwide. Announced during the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit (EVIS 2025), the collaboration aligns with the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategy and National Electric Vehicles Policy. It aims to enhance charging accessibility, streamline EV ownership, and support sustainable mobility goals. As the exclusive distributor of Zeekr and smart vehicles in the UAE, AWR Group will offer charging credits to customers purchasing these EVs. These credits can be activated via the UAEV app and used at any UAEV charging station, providing convenient access to one of the fastest-growing charging networks in the country. With 122 charging ports currently live and plans to expand to 300 by end-2025, UAEV operates the largest network in the Northern Emirates. Its ultra-fast DC stations are strategically placed to reduce range anxiety and support long-distance travel. 'This partnership is a major step toward making EV adoption more accessible and rewarding,' said Hicham Ezzahid, CEO of UAEV. 'When infrastructure and innovation go hand in hand, clean mobility becomes an achievable reality.' Sanaa Ouahmane, CEO of AWR Mobility Services, added, 'We're creating a new standard for sustainable transportation by putting customers first and supporting the country's net-zero vision.' The programme is expected to cut over 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions by 2030. The charging credit initiative will roll out in the coming months, encouraging Zeekr and smart EV owners to embrace seamless, sustainable driving through the UAEV network. News Source: Emirates News Agency
