Electric vehicles set to go mainstream
dubai — Sustainable electric vehicles ranging from large excavators to mini forklifts may soon be a common sight in the construction industry, experts at GB Equipment Solutions said at the 20th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (Wetex 2018).
Organised by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), the exhibition was held under the theme ‘At the forefront of sustainability’ and featured over 2,100 exhibitors from 53 countries.
“Sustainability is one of the aspects that we are really focused on right now and we are showcasing a wide range of our JCB products that prominently feature this element,” said Ahmad Juma, national sales manager at GB Equipment Solutions, a subsidiary of Galadari Brothers Company.
“We work very closely with Dewa on all their infrastructure projects to supply the right equipment and solutions.”
“We offer several eco-friendly features in our products and in our engines in particular. Many new product ranges featuring hybrid generators have been launched in markets such as Europe, and they will soon be available here as well,” he explained.
One of the biggest trends in the market right now, he said, has to do with electric vehicles. “We have electrical products that are available in the utilities section and we have mini excavators that are electrical. They are already available in the UK, and I have no doubt that their application will be seen in the UAE as the market matures. Products develop along with a market’s needs, and right now the shift is towards electric vehicles. We are growing in tandem with these trends.”
Juma explained that many construction companies were looking for products that did not leave much of an impact on the surrounding environment. “Day by day, the requirement of the construction site is to be as eco-friendly as possible, and we have a responsibility to ensure that we are supplying products that help meet this demand. The construction pipeline in the UAE is very healthy with mega projects such as Expo 2020 coming up. These projects are spread across different industries such as hospitality, which is growing to accommodate the influx of visitors that will be arriving for the event.”