A Road trip is like a medicine to all your worries. Tried and tested. And it's just not the petrolheads who desire to go on a road trip, non-petrolheads too couldn't stay away from its addiction. Road trips bring out a change in people, really, they do. But we, here in the Middle East, would be witnessing a 'changed' (different kind of) road trip, which includes only electric vehicles.
The previous season of the Electric Vehicle Road Trip (EVRT) had been a huge success. Keeping that in mind, it has returned for its 2018 season which is going to be an epic. It is going to cover a distance of 1,217km in nine days across the UAE and Oman, of course, in electric cars.
The schedule
The nine-day road trip will set off from Abu Dhabi on January 18th, 2018. The cars will visit Madinat Zayed before driving to Sohar in Oman and on to Muscat. The convoy will then return to the UAE, calling at Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah before passing through Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Sharjah. The convoy will cover the deserts of Abu Dhabi, the mountains of Oman and along the rugged coastline of the Northern Emirates. The cars will reach the finish line and final destination, at The Sustainable City in Dubai on January 26th, 2018.
It's been anticipated that the average range of each car is around 400km on a single charge. They will be recharged using a network of GreenParking charging stations at IHG hotels.
It's been anticipated that the average range of each car is around 400km on a single charge. They will be recharged using a network of GreenParking charging stations at IHG hotels.
Participation
People who are interested to take part in the 2018 Electric Vehicle Road Trip Middle East and join the epic trip. Tickets are available for the full nine-day journey or for one of the two five-day stages, where participants can join for Abu Dhabi (18th January) to Muscat (22nd January) or Muscat (22nd January) to Dubai (26th January), with the chance to drive an electric vehicle on sections of the route. Road trip participants can also enjoy activities such as visiting Oman's Botanic Garden with the country's first solar park, sightseeing in Muscat, experiencing authentic Omani culture in Sohar, relaxing on the beaches of Fujairah, and driving through the famous golden sand dunes of Madinat Zayed, amongst other activities.
Ben Pullen, Managing Director of Global EVRT said, “The Electric Vehicle market has developed significantly in the last 12 months in the UAE and it's fantastic to see that there are other forward-thinking governments and industry in this region, such as Oman who are already working on smart city development, with inevitable plans for electric vehicles in the near future. However, there is still a lot of misunderstanding amongst consumers of what these cars are capable of.”
He further added, “By tackling this tough terrain across 1,217km we are demonstrating that these cars are not just environmentally friendly options for the future, they are real options for car buyers right now, with innovative gadgets and technology to excite and impress. Driving an electric vehicle during the road trip is the perfect way to fully appreciate the capabilities of the technology that is shaping the future of transport and to see first-hand how well the cars handle the open road, especially over long distances.”
