UAE’s Ekar to offer Tesla cars for rent

UAE-based Ekar has partnered with Masdar to allow car enthusiasts rent Tesla cars by the minute in Abu Dhabi.

Users can now rent out a Tesla Model S or Model X by the minute in Masdar City, a statement said.

Those interested can book the electric cars via the Ekar app and website, using a “pay-by-the-use” method or daily and monthly renting.

Users can select a model and collect the vehicle from a Masdar City charging station, later returning it to the nearest station for the next customer.

UAE residents must have a six-month valid driving licence while visitors are required to submit a copy of their passport, valid visa and foreign driver’s licence.

The partnership follows Masdar’s £35m investment into the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund, to increase the number of rapid charging points available to electric car owners in the United Kingdom.

Read: Masdar first investor in major UK vehicle charging initiative

“Masdar City installed the first rapid charging station for electric vehicles (EV) in the Middle East,” said Yousef Baselaib, executive director of Sustainable Real Estate at Masdar.

“The launch of this new service expands upon our existing portfolio of sustainable mobility solutions, which includes the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system and the NAVYA Autonom Shuttle,” he said.

“Furthermore, it demonstrates how cities can integrate multiple transport solutions to meet the needs of their residents, tenants and visitors sustainably.”

Earlier this year, Masdar launched the region’s first fully electric passenger bus in a bid to further energy efficient transport. The bus, co-developed with Siemens Middle East and Abu Dhabi-based bus manufacturer Hafilat Industry, can accommodate 30 passengers up to 150 kilometres per battery charge.

Read: Abu Dhabi’s Masdar launches region’s first all-electric bus