Sharjah plans ‘vast network’ of EV charge stations

By Eudore R. Chand

SHARJAH 3 February 2020: ION, a UAE-based sustainable and smart transportation company, has partnered with the Sharjah City Municipality (SCM), and the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa), to supply, install and operate public electric vehicle charging stations across Sharjah.

The move comes as part of accelerating the UAE’s ongoing electrification of its transportation and supporting the current electric vehicle network.

With a mandate to promote green mobility solutions in the region, ION, a joint venture between Bee’ah and CE-Creates, the business incubation platform of Crescent Enterprises, will build a vast network of charging stations across the emirate in a phased approach, paving the way for the greater use of electric vehicle mobility in the UAE, said Wam.

Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah and Chairman of ION, said, “Electric charging stations are an important component in the development of a zero-emissions transportation network in the UAE and wider region and we welcome the chance to work with partners such as SEWA and SCM to contribute to a better quality of life for the residents of Sharjah.”

Samer Choucair, Director, CE-Creates and Board Member, ION, said, “With a phased roll-out planned until 2025, the collaborative effort between us and Bee’ah will be aligned with the establishment of regulatory frameworks governing the use of electric vehicles in the region. ION also aims to embrace a holistic approach and extend beyond electric mobility to include power generation and storage products.”

Dr. Rashid Alleem, Chairman of Sewa, elaborated on the new development, saying, “As the UAE lays out the blueprint to improve its environmental performance, we are also following the SEWA Vision 2020 to achieve a highly innovative and sustainable tomorrow. We are delighted to offer residents the ability and convenience to pursue greener modes of transport and look forward to working with ION and SCM to ensure the right infrastructure is in place to support electric vehicle users.”

Thabit Salim Al Turaifi, Director-General at SCM, said, “As Sharjah positions itself to be more eco-friendly and technologically advanced, this agreement will be of vast importance to the success of green mobility in the city. Partnering with like-minded entities to unlock the potential of electric vehicles in Sharjah is a strong indicator of our commitment to creating a safe and sustainable environment for residents that enables them to adopt better lifestyles.”