RTA Adds Fifty Teslas to Taxi fleet

The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai has added 50 Teslas to its fleet of taxis. The plan is to have at least 200 Tesla taxis on the roads in Dubai by 2019. Back in February this year, at the World Government Summit, RTA had finalized the agreement to purchase 200 vehicles from Tesla. Of this order, 50 vehicles have already been delivered. They were formally launched as part of the fleet at a ceremony held outside terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman of Dubai Airports, chairman and chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, and chairman of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, launches the new Tesla fleet on Sunday

The fleet comprises two tesla models, the Model S belonging to the sedan category and the X model from SUVs. The vehicles also have a high level of autonomy.

Another seventy-five vehicles will be delivered in 2018 and the remaining 75 vehicles will reach Dubai in 2019.

Commenting on the addition of Teslas to the fleet, Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads & Transport Authority said that Dubai Taxi Corporation will work with its partners to ensure that the Teslas with the needed infrastructure like the addition of 13 stations for recharging electric cars.

According to Al Tayer, the Model S had the greatest possible safety rating at the time of launch and has the longest range when compared to other electric vehicles. It is notable for its maneuverability, falcon wing doors, panoramic windshield, and a highly comfortable seven-seater configuration.

Both the models, when in self-driving mode using the Autopilot are considered to be safer than when driven by a human driver. Tesla’s Autopilot is meant to make drivers more confident on the roads and add to the safety factor while reducing their driving related stress.

The introduction of Teslas to the RTA fleet aligns well with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision of making Dubai the smartest city in the world. It also confirms to the Dubai government’s stated goal of making 25 per cent of all journeys in the emirate driverless by 2030.

So, next time you step out to hail a taxi, you might just luck out and end up getting into a tesla for a comfortable journey.