Fleet of electric vehicles for commercial transport launched in Dubai through Careem in pilot phase
Dubai, UAE – Crescent Enterprises, the UAE-based diversified conglomerate, and Bee'ah, the Middle East's leading and award-winning environmental management company, today announced the launch of a joint venture, ION – a sustainable commercial transport company.
ION’s operations include the development, acquisition and management of electric vehicle (EV) fleets for commercial use, deployed through platforms such as ride-hailing services, as well as corporate and government fleets.
Coinciding with World Environment Day, the joint venture has announced plans to deploy fleets of energy-efficient Tesla vehicles to complement the transport network across nine cities in the MENA region. With a phased roll out planned until 2020, the collaborative effort will also align with the establishment of a regulatory framework governing the use of electric vehicles in the target markets. The company also aims to embrace a holistic approach and extend beyond electric mobility to eventually include power generation and storage products.
Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah, said: “We are delighted to join forces with Crescent Enterprises in this game-changing initiative dedicated to enhancing the sustainability of sectors such as transportation across the MENA region. As a company that actively facilitates the adoption of a green economy, we understand the role of environment-friendly transportation in reducing our overall carbon footprint. We believe that ION will play an instrumental role in consolidating the UAE’s green credentials.
“Bee’ah has been an early adopter of green technology and has invested in a number of initiatives that showcase our passion for integrating innovation with eco-friendly practices. We have optimised our services by deploying a fleet of smart vehicles, including Tesla’s new Semi trucks, while the former’s state-of-the-art Powerpack has facilitated our ambition of turning our new headquarters into a net zero energy building. The historic launch of ION represents yet another milestone on our journey towards a greener and more sustainable future.”
Following the announcement at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2018, Bee’ah had become the first company in the Middle East to place an order for Tesla’s revolutionary, electric Semi trucks.
Aspiring to play a prominent role in the conversation about electric cars, ION seeks to engage with electric utility regulators, road transport authorities, legislators, environmental agencies and customer groups to gain insights and shape policies that will accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.
For his part, Samer Choucair, Vice President of CE-Creates, the business incubation division of Crescent Enterprises, said: “In line with the UAE Vision 2021, and the UAE Government’s ambitious clean energy targets, ION is setting a new precedent for private sector participation in this sustainability drive – not just through dialogue but real action. Our goal is to roll out a fully green fleet management enterprise in the UAE and across the wider region. We are proud to take this revolutionary step with Bee’ah – a company we deeply admire for its focus on environmental sustainability – and look forward to positioning ION as a leader in this space.”
He added: “Energy policies in the region have witnessed significant shifts in recent years as a matter of economic, social and environmental necessity. We believe that this venture will pave the way for positive and fundamental behavioural changes that can accelerate the drive towards a sustainable zero-emission transport system.”
The renewables sector is a high priority for all governments in the Gulf region. In this context, the UAE announced a decision to raise its clean energy target to 50 per cent of its energy mix by 2050, while Saudi Arabia has indicated an ambition to produce 10 per cent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2032. Across the wider MENA Region, countries such as Jordan and Morocco have also set similar targets as they aim to reduce their dependence on hydrocarbons.
ION has already piloted its fleet of turquoise Tesla Model S electric vehicles in Dubai through the ride-hailing service, Careem in May 2018. Users of the application can now book ION’s iconic electric cars for a ride anywhere in Dubai. The company is additionally in talks with regulators to expand its UAE fleet operations to Abu Dhabi by Q3 2018.
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About ION
ION is a UAE-based sustainable commercial transport company, established in 2018 as a joint venture between Crescent Enterprises, the UAE-based diversified conglomerate, and Bee'ah, the Middle East's leading and award-winning environmental management company.
In keeping with its sustainability mandate and mission to make zero-emission transportation a reality in the UAE and wider region, ION’s operations include the development, acquisition and management of electric vehicle (EV) fleets from Tesla, the American multinational corporation that specializes in EVs. These vehicles are deployed for commercial use through platforms such as ride-hailing services, as well as in corporate and government fleets.
ION plans to roll out Tesla fleets across nine cities in the MENA Region by 2020, in parallel with allowances and efforts in those cities to establish a regulatory framework governing the use of electric vehicles. The company also aims to embrace a holistic approach and extend beyond electric mobility to eventually include power generation and storage products.
About Crescent Enterprises
Crescent Enterprises (CE) is a diversified conglomerate headquartered in the UAE that operates a range of regional and global businesses across four verticals: CE-Operates, CE-Invests, CE-Creates and CE-Ventures.
CE-Operates, the operating business division, constitutes subsidiaries and affiliates that span the ports and logistics, power and engineering, and business aviation sectors. These include Gulftainer, Momentum Logistics, Uruk Engineering & Contracting and Gama Aviation. CE-Invests, the strategic investments vertical, maintains a balanced portfolio of diversified asset class investments, including private equity, venture capital, real estate and other structured assets. Meanwhile, CE-Creates, the business incubation division, develops early-stage concepts into economically viable and scalable businesses with a significant social impact. The latest addition to the Crescent Enterprises stable, CE-Ventures, is its corporate venture capital arm that makes strategic direct investments in early- to later-stage start-ups across the world.
Crescent Enterprises employs over 4,500 people in 20 countries across five continents, and has a long-term investment and operating philosophy that embraces corporate governance, inclusive growth and responsible business practices. The company is a subsidiary of the Crescent Group, one of the most progressive family business groups that has been actively contributing to shaping the economic landscape of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for more than 45 years. Crescent Group’s other subsidiary, Crescent Petroleum, is the first and largest privately owned indigenous upstream oil and gas company in the Middle East.
For further information, please visit: http://www.crescententerprises.com/
About Bee’ah:
Bee’ah, headquartered in the emirate of Sharjah, is an integrated environmental and waste management company, founded in 2007, through an Emiri decree by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. Creating a sustainable future through creative and resourceful solutions, Bee’ah has pushed the boundaries of environmental innovation and crossed remarkable milestones, to become a force for change across the region. Through revolutionary environmental management practices, systematic waste management, sustainability strategies for key resources and utilization of renewable energy sources, as well as community engagement initiatives, Bee’ah seeks to set a benchmark for sustainability, for cities and communities everywhere.
For more information, please visit: http://www.beeah.ae and connect: www.facebook.com/beeahuae and www.twitter.com/BeeahUAE
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