DEWA unveils electric-car charging stations in Dubai

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has just unveiled the city’s first electric-vehicle charging stations. EV owners, what few of them there are, can now charge their car around the city at these stations for a small fee.

There are 12 stations now open to the public, and a total of 16 stations are planned during the first phase of this initiative. Each of these stations can charge only 2 cars at a time on average. Locations include DEWA’s head office and branches in Al Wasl, Al Hudaiba, Burj Nahar, Umm Ramool and Jebel Ali.

At a price of 29 fils per kWh, it costs about Dhs 6.16 to cover 100 km with an electric car such as the Renault Zoe we just tested, whereas even a conservatively-driven Toyota Yaris will cost well above Dhs 10 per 100 km. Somebody needs to do the math on whether it ends up being cheaper to buy a pricey electric car than a petrol-powered sub-compact in the long run, assuming you are more worried about your wallet than the environment.

Drivers have to obtain DEWA cards for use at the charging stations and this, along with home charging costs, can be paid with monthly DEWA bills. Those from outside the city and without DEWA accounts can obtain an ID card and pay post-paid fees as per consumption.

During the second phase of this project, 84 charging stations of different types will be installed in Dubai. “Fast” stations will be located at petrol stations, and will enable the charging of electric vehicles in 30 minutes. “Public” charging stations will allow vehicles to be charged within four hours. “Home” stations, presumably installed at the homes of rich villa dwellers, will take between six to eight hours to charge a vehicle.