The Superbus concept, which could give business commuters and tourists a new luxury high-speed link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, “moves a step closer to fruition” in the UAE this week when it will be showcased outside Europe for the first time.
For those not in the know, a hybrid is a car with a petrol engine that also has an electric motor attached that provides additional power when needed and recharges its battery as the car moves, all while saving petrol, saving the environment and saving the whales. The theory goes that petrol is cheap in the GCC, so no one cares about hybrid cars. While that is definitely true, we live in the UAE, which boasts the highest petrol prices in the region and is proudly increasing prices further to match international market rates eventually. Suddenly, a hybrid doesn’t seem like a bad idea after all.
Ford’s Conservation and Environmental Grants section yesterday awarded money to two projects from the UAE aimed at the preservation of UAE’s coral reefs and the fight against the illegal trade of animals in the region. Anyone who applies for these ‘green’ grants is eligible to have their project looked at by a panel of environmental experts. We also brought up the topic of electric cars.
A scientist from Uruguay showed off his invention at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. Apparently it’s a motorcycle that is fueled by air.
Late last year, on the sidelines of the Mitsubishi ASX crossover launch event at the Dubai Autodrome, Mitsubishi had an egg on four wheels parked outside the halls, plugged into the wall like a blender. We quickly recognised that to be the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Japanese firm’s first commercially-available electric car.
Ford recently showed off its first-ever fully electric car, called the Ford Focus Electric. It is the first of five electric car models Ford plans to release by 2013 for the North American and European markets. The Focus Electric will be able for customers by the end of 2011.
Hyundai has unveiled the company’s first Full Speed Electric Vehicle (FSEV) named ‘BlueOn,’ and has become the first Korean manufacturer to release a proper electric car. Hyundai unveiled the car in the presence of Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and other ministers.
Relatively new company Bright Automotive has signed an agreement with General Motors whereby GM’s new venture arm has provided funding to the Indiana automaker. This is the first funding action by General Motors Ventures, and will help accelerate Bright’s production of the IDEA, a “revolutionary” plug-in hybrid commercial vehicle.
General Motors has announced that selected Chevrolet dealers in the United States have begun taking customer orders for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the first mass-production electric vehicle with extended-range capability. Following the U.S. introduction, the Volt will go on sale in global markets starting with Europe and China in 2011. A few will also be sent to the GCC for hot-weather testing to see if they are viable for sale in the UAE.
Dubai’s Al Yousuf business group, which among its assets can count the Daihatsu dealer franchise in the UAE, has apparently bought out the US-based Phoenix Motorcars firm, in which it was a silent shareholder previously. Phoenix is a builder of niche electric vehicles and went bankrupt recently. Al Yousuf says this could mark the entry of electric vehicles in the UAE and GCC region.