Noiseless, non-polluting taxis are here
dubai — Dubai has rolled out the trial run of the region’s first electric, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle in its taxi fleet, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.
The vehicle emits only water and is noiseless. It can travel 500km on a full tank, and refilling it does not take more than five minutes.
The emission-free Toyota Mirai is powered by hydrogen, which generates electricity inside the engine after being mixed with oxygen supplied through the grill intake at the front of the vehicle. The vehicle is characterised by high-level driving convenience and uses the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), combining fuel cell and hybrid technologies. It contains a fuel cell stack and a high-pressure hydrogen tank. “The RTA attaches paramount importance to protecting the environment and saving power consumption,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA.
“The RTA will start a trial run of the vehicle as part of its limousine service at the Dubai International Airport to assess the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of its operation, besides verifying the efficiency of the engine, maintenance cost and other parameters,” he noted.
Going green helps
The RTA was the first entity in the region to start the trial run of hybrid (fuel and electricity) vehicles as part of its taxi fleet, from 2008 to 2011. Results have proven the economic and environmental feasibility of the experiment, saving fuel consumption by 30 per cent and reducing carbon emissions by 30 per cent as well.
“The RTA had announced a plan to convert 50 per cent of Dubai taxis into hybrid vehicles by 2021. The plan involves raising the number of hybrid taxis from 791 cabs in 2016 to 4,750 in 2021. The Dubai Taxi Corporation accounts for the largest share of hybrid vehicles (2,280 vehicles), and the number of hybrid vehicles currently accounts for 20 per cent of the fleet,” said Al Tayer.
Refuelling stations
Saud Abbasi, managing director of Toyota at Al Futtaim Motors, said delivering the first hydrogen vehicle to the Dubai Taxi Corporation is a prelude of spreading hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the UAE. “Al Futtaim Motors is working with its partners to establish a series of hydrogen refilling stations in support of this technology.
“Last October, Al Futtaim Motors, in collaboration with Air Liquide, opened the first hydrogen refilling station in the UAE at the Dubai Festival City. The opening of the station will facilitate the use of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on a larger scale.”
reporters@khaleejtimes.com