Dubai Trial First Run Of Hydrogen Powered Taxis
Dubai has the trial run of the first electric hydrogen-powered vehicle, announced by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
The region's first electric hydrogen-powered car launched and trial run on Dubai, announced by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). New hydrogen-powered car, Toyota Mirai, will be on a trial run as the RTA continues to look for alternative fuel options as part of its sustainable transport strategy, the Khaleej Times reported. A new hydrogen vehicle is touted as a zero emission car, emitting only water, easily can run up to 500 km on a single refuel and is noiseless. Its refueling can be done in minutes, unlike electric vehicles.
The new hydrogen-based vehicle, which generates electricity inside the engine after being mixed with oxygen supplied through the grill intake at the front of the vehicle. It is characterized by high-level driving convenience and uses Toyota Fuel Cell System that combines fuel cell as well as hybrid technology.
"RTA attaches paramount importance to protecting the environment and saving power consumption... This experiment is a part of a low carbon strategy aimed at making Dubai a role model inefficient power consumption and low carbon emission," said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.
AI Tayer added that the initiative will help the RTA achieve its target to reducing carbon emissions of taxis by 2 percent.
Al Tayer also said that the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), a subsidiary of the RTA, has become the first taxi operator in the Middle East to deploy a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (Mirai) in its fleet.
"RTA will start a trial run of the vehicle as part of its limousine service at the Dubai International Airport to assess the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of its operation," he said.
Dubai became the first city in 2008, to begin a trial of hybrid vehicles as taxis and now around 800 hybrid taxis operate in the city.
RTA announced a plan to replace half of the taxi fleet with eco-friendly vehicles by 2021. At present, around 20 percent of the fleet is hybrid.