ABU DHABI 17 July 2017: Yas Island is championing the uptake of electronic car technology with the installation of 16 new Tesla chargers at Yas Mall and Yas Island theme parks.
Alongside Yas Mall’s four other chargers by BMW and Mercedes, and two electric vehicle-charging stations available at other key locations, Yas Island is now fully equipped with a total of 22 charging stations across five locations, to ensure that early-adopters of electric vehicles can remain fully powered-up anywhere on the island, said Wam.
Following the announcement of the arrival of Tesla Model S and X vehicles in the UAE in February earlier this year, the newly installed chargers came as a result of a marked increase in demand for electric vehicle chargers across Yas Island. This timely development also comes ahead of the arrival of the Model 3, Tesla’s most affordable vehicle yet, due to launch at the end of July.
Gerardo Llanes, Executive Director of Yas Island Destination Management, said, “At Yas Island, we want to ensure that all of our visitors, joining us from near and far, feel a genuine sense of encouragement to come and enjoy the wide range of activities, events, and attractions on offer. By consistently expanding our ease of accessibility and transportation options, we aim to create a smooth, memorable and facilitated experience, 365 days of the year.”
He added, “With the recent additions, Yas Island is now home to Abu Dhabi’s largest cluster of charging stations. This reinforces Yas Island’s status as a world-class destination that is aligned with its visitors’ needs and demands, as well as the UAE’s long-term vision 2021 for Sustainable Environment and Infrastructure.”
The new Tesla chargers are reserved exclusively for zero-emission electric cars and are available to use free of charge during the opening hours of the parks. Electric cars can achieve a full-charge within approximately 30 minutes, meaning that visitors can enjoy their time on Yas Island, no matter how short or long their stay.
Yas Island’s two theme parks have installed three chargers each, which are located outside their main entrances. This includes one for UAE/EU Tesla vehicles, one for North American Tesla vehicles, and one for any vehicle manufactured to the EU Electric vehicle standards.
These new chargers follow Yas Mall’s 10 Tesla electric chargers, seven of which are compatible with all types of electric vehicles, two Mercedes B Class Electric Drive chargers and two BMW I Wallbox Pro chargers, alongside one Tesla charger at the Yas Viceroy Hotel, and one electric vehicle charger at the ADNOC service station on Yas Island.
With such a wide range of chargers available, Yas Island is fully prepared to welcome all electric vehicle owners, and additionally, island visitors could be in the running to drive home in a brand-new Tesla model S 90kWh Dual Motor QTST this summer, as part of the annual Eid-to-Eid “Say Yas” spend and win campaign, which runs until September 9th.
The presence of electric vehicle chargers is the latest addition to the growing transportation matrix on offer for visitors to navigate Yas Island with ease. In early 2017, the destination introduced its high-speed water taxi service in partnership with Jalboot Marine Network, to complement the free Yas Express shuttle service and the ADCB Bikeshare network.
By Angel Chan