Skip to main content

Ekar brings e-car-share service to Abu Dhabi

Ekar has joined forces with renewable energy company Masdar to launch an electric vehicle (EV) car-sharing service in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City.
November 14, 2019 Read time: 1 min

Yousef Baselaib, Masdar’s executive director of sustainable real estate, says: “The launch of this new service expands upon our existing portfolio of sustainable mobility solutions, which includes the personal rapid transit system and the 8379 Navya Autonom Shuttle.”

In July, Navya received approval from the Japanese government to operate autonomous vehicles (AVs) on open roads.

Ekar says drivers can use its app to rent a 8534 Tesla Model S or Model X for 64 fils (14p) per minute. Users can collect and return vehicles at a charging station in the city.

Vilhelm Hedberg, CEO of Ekar Middle East, says: “The carbon emissions footprint of an EV is half that of a fossil fuel-powered vehicle when the lifecycles of the vehicles are compared, and most electric cars in the market can be integrated with our car-share technology.”  

Ekar uses instant reservations and smart-access technology to provide a network of vehicles for rent in the United Arab Emirates. The service is available to people who have been driving for at least six months and visitors who submit a copy of their passport, visa page and foreign driver’s licence.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Last date for ITS World Congress papers - reminder
    January 6, 2015
    The deadline for the ITS World Congress 2015 Call for Papers and Special Interest Sessions submission is fast approaching. Authors must submit technical, scientific, commercial papers and special interest sessions by 19 January. No extensions will be granted.
  • Bournemouth council urges residents to avoid social media ‘taxi’ service
    November 21, 2018
    People in the UK resort of Bournemouth are being warned not to use a ‘lifts-for-cash’ service which is operating in the town. A closed Facebook group called ‘Bournemouth & Poole town lifts’ has more than 7,000 members but council leaders say the service could be illegal. Members communicate via social media. Once accepted, they can ask for trips, talk to drivers or make money by using their vehicle as a taxi. But Nananka Randle, licensing team manager, planning and regulatory services, at Bournemouth Bo
  • Careem offers transport for Saudi Arabia hospitals
    July 10, 2019
    Careem is to provide a transportation service to patients travelling to and from Saudi German Hospitals (SGH) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. SGH is a provider of healthcare services located in the Middle East and North Africa region with hospitals located in areas such as Egypt and Dubai. Makarem Sobhi Batterjee, vice chairman, SGH, told the Saudi Gazette: “This agreement will help pave the way in addressing our patient’s transportation needs.” As part of the agreement, patients will receive 20%
  • Vehicle and Road Automation website launched
    February 18, 2014
    In order to promote the exchange of information and research on vehicle and road automation activities in Europe and beyond, the Vehicle and Road Automation (VRA) project has launched its website, together with other online tools to promote and expand the VRA community: The VRA wiki, www.vra-net.eu/wiki, is a user-edited shared resource for road vehicle automation activities around the world, containing details on around forty projects, with an abstract, contact point, website, sponsor, budget/funding an