More than half of UAE residents buying and renting electric vehicles due to lower costs

More than half - 52 per cent - of UAE residents are buying and leasing electric vehicles (EVs) due to lower car usage and maintenance costs than fuel vehicles, according to a study released by Roland Berger.

- Waheed Abbas

Nearly 24,000 battery and plug-in hybrid units were sold in the UAE last year.

(FILE PHOTO)

The other key considerations for buying and leasing EVs are protecting the environment and the higher level of intelligence of battery electric vehicles.

Roland Berger’s EV Charging Index 2025 shows that the UAE leads the GCC by EV sales volume, with nearly 24,000 battery and plugin hybrid units sold in 2024. Saudi Arabia saw EV sales jump over tenfold from 2023, reaching more than 11,000 units.

The UAE also leads in EV charging station deployment, with Dubai alone having a network of over 1,270 public charging points across the emirate as of August 2025.