Centre News

Wednesday 1st February

With the final day of the Emirates EVRT starting, everyone was in agreement that it had been an amazing experience, a unique opportunity to learn about electric vehicles, and a privilege to open charging stations at key locations in the UAE.

Our first stop of Day 4 was in Dubai Motor City, where the cars had a special photoshoot, and then we moved on to the Sustainable City for our conference. We were greeted by a large crowd, including members of the local community and a range of media outlets. They were keen to try the EVs for themselves and learn more about the benefits of owning one, as well as asking plenty of questions about the Emirates EVRT.

The conference began after lunch, focusing on the topic of sustainable driving. Both local and international guests shared their expertise on the latest developments in the industry, as well as the incentives major stakeholders offer to increase the adoption of EVs in the region. Speakers included:

• Ben Pullen, Founder & Managing Director, Global EVRT
• Karim El-Jisr, Director of The Sustainable City Innovation Centre, The Sustainable City
• Deepti Mahajan – Emirates Wildlife Society WWF, Project Manager – Footprint, Climate and Energy
• Taher Diab, Director of Strategy & Planning, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, UAE Tesla Owners

There followed a panel discussion with EV owners, addressing the positives as well as the challenges of driving an electric vehicle. Guests for this panel were:

• Andrej Roncevic, General Manager, ebikes UAE
• The Sustainable City
• Wiebe Wakker, Founder, Plug Me In project
• Afeez Kay, Founder, TrymyEV.com
• Jordan Spasovski, Tesla Model S Owner

The conference ended with a final panel discussion, this time focused on how to create a thriving electric vehicle environment in the UAE. Present on the panel were:

• Peter Farrington, Principal Environmental Studies and Research Specialist, Dubai Municipality
• Nehal Abdel Aziz & Patricia Adem, Founders, Green Agent Car Rental
• Engie
• Issam Mouslimani, Head of Retail Product Offering, AXA Insurance

After the conference we drove all the electric vehicles through the Sustainable City in a grand EV parade, thereby closing the first Emirates EVRT. It has been a remarkable tour full of knowledge exchange, learning experiences and inspirational talks, and a great way to raise awareness about electric vehicles.

But it doesn't end there...
The Emirates EVRT may be over, but in April the ESCP European EVRT will begin! Stay tuned and fasten your seatbelts - more information coming soon!

• Watch the Emirates EVRT's Day 4 highlights
• Stay in touch with ESCP London Campus
• Stay in touch with the Global EVRT