EV Lab, a first of its kind omnichannel, multi-brand electric vehicle platform, has today announced its official launch in the region. With the goal of revolutionizing the automotive industry, the new and immersive platform aims to empower automotive enthusiasts in the Middle East to embrace more sustainable and responsible motoring experiences.
Channeling the knowledge of mobility in the region and their expertise in retail, the team behind EV Lab have created a concept that supports a customer’s journey from the introduction to EVs through to the switch associated with owning an EV.
In line with one of the key pillars of The UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda, which focuses on increasing the contribution of clean energy and implementing green growth plans, EV Lab is focused on driving the transition to sustainable mobility through leveraging the benefits that electric vehicles provide to air quality, the overall environment, as well as towards diversified economic growth.
While the Arabian Gulf has been predominantly seen as an oil-based economy for over a decade, renewable energy, clean transportation technologies, concerns about pollution and climate change, and support for sustainable growth are now driving the new economic agenda, with governments now fully focused on economic diversification with the introduction of renewable energy sources high on the priority list. The UAE aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 70 percent, increase clean energy use by 50 percent, and improve energy efficiency by 40 percent by 2050.
INSPIRATION BEHIND EV-LAB
The new era of EVs is steadily taking share in the region, with the introduction of increasingly technologically advanced and environmentally friendly solutions. During its lifecycle, electric vehicles can save an average of 20 percent of carbon dioxide for every kilometer driven in comparison to their gasoline counterparts, and up to 100 percent of the electric grid is operated solely on renewable energy. With a 40 percent global year-on-year increase in EV sales, Dubai is just one of the cities in the region working on making its roads viable for electric cars.
Kevin Chalhoub, Founder & CEO at EV Lab, is confident the UAE is ready to embrace this new technology, saying “Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time and road transportation is responsible for 24% of emissions globally. There is an urgent need to move towards a fully electrified transportation system. That’s why it was crucial for us to launch EV Lab in a city as forward looking as Dubai. With the second-highest ratio of public charging stations per EVs in the world, the UAE is a perfect place to own an electric car. The faster acceleration, the ease of charging, the extended range, the increased power, and the advanced technology are some of the reasons why EVs are the future of mobility.”
To support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which seeks to produce 75 percent of the Emirate’s energy from clean energy, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy mandated that 10 percent of all new cars in the Emirate must be electric or hybrid by 2020, and 10 percent of all cars should be green by 2030. Since the launch of Tesla’s showroom in Dubai in 2017, the government has continued to encourage people to buy EVs over traditional cars, leaving the market with an array of EV choices in Dubai ever since.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an EV marketplace is also beginning to take shape with Saudi Ministry of Energy and NEOM recently signing an MoU that constitutes the Saudi road map for the implementation of future energy goals as the Kingdom prepares to complete an integrated energy sector strategy by the end of 2020.
EV Lab is aiming to partner with key automotive players to offer a selection of the best EV products available in the market. The company will also offer a wider range of electric vehicles such as motorcycles, skateboards, and scooters.
“Our aim is to foster an inclusive community of EV enthusiasts, through an outstanding customer experience online and offline. Many features are available on the website to educate our customers and accompany them in their EV journey. We’ve integrated an EV Planner tool so that users can calculate the CO2 emission savings, acceleration, cost of ownership, round trips to work and find all available charging stations and charging times for a chosen car. On the EV LAB platform, you can also schedule a test drive and access a unique selection of EVs at your preferred location to experience all the benefits that an EV has to offer.” Said Luca Rubino, Chief Marketing Officer at EV Lab.