Pure Electric and EV LAB founders on where e-scooters go next
A new partnership between British e-scooter pioneer Pure Electric and UAE-based EV LAB is betting that the future of urban travel fits in the palm of your hand, and folds into your car boot
08 January, 2026
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Urban mobility is quietly undergoing a reset. As cities grow denser, congestion worsens, and sustainability targets tighten, how people move short distances is becoming just as important as how they travel long ones. Electric scooters, once dismissed as a novelty, are now emerging as a serious piece of urban transport infrastructure, backed by policy, consumer demand, and hard economics.
The numbers add more weight to this trend: The global micro-mobility market size was valued at $41.01bn in 2024. The market is projected to grow from $46.47bn in 2025 to $145.83bn by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.5 per cent during 2025–2034, according to a report by Polaris Market Research.
Closer to home, the Middle East’s micromobility market is also accelerating. Valued at $10.4bn in 2024, the sector is projected to more than double to $25.1bn by 2032 (stats courtesy: P&S Intelligence’s Middle East Micromobility Market Report), driven by government smart city initiatives, swelling urban populations, and a generation increasingly reluctant to sit in traffic.
In Dubai alone, electric scooter trips climbed from 30 million in 2023 to 32.3 million in 2024, representing an 8.7 per cent rise, according to the RTA. The authority has expanded electric scooter zones across 21 districts, integrating them with metro and bus routes as part of a broader push toward a “20-minute city” where residents can reach destinations without cars. Abu Dhabi is building over 1,200 kilometres of dedicated cycling paths.
Into this momentum steps a transatlantic partnership: EV LAB, the Middle East’s first multi-brand electric mobility platform, has invested in Pure Electric, the UK’s leading electric scooter manufacturer, founded by entrepreneur Adam Norris, father of Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris. The partnership kicked off in December last year with the launch of Pure Electric’s three new e-scooters in the UAE – Air⁴, Pure x McLaren and Pure Flex.
The Pure Air⁴, a remastered fourth-generation classic e-ride with a smoother, more powerful ride featuring a 710W motor and 30-kilometre range; the Pure x Mclaren finished in McLaren’s iconic orange livery, built with active steering stabilisation, a 900W motor, and a 50-kilometre range; and the Pure flex, the world’s most compact scooter featuring a unique forward-facing stance, ultra-compact design, and a 45-kilometre range, built for maximum control and stability.
“Collaborating with Pure Electric to launch these state-of-the-art e-scooters in the UAE is an incredible opportunity to drive innovation and sustainability,” says Kevin Chalhoub, CEO and founder of EV LAB. “Over the past few years, consumers in the region have grown more environmentally conscious and are looking for smarter and greener approaches to travel.”
Gulf Business spoke to Norris and Chalhoub to discuss what’s driving adoption, why safety trumps everything, and whether every urban dweller will eventually own a scooter.
Designing e-scooters for real life, not just the ride
The e-scooter market is crowded. Chinese manufacturers flood the segment with budget options, while rental fleets from Lime and TIER dominate shared mobility. So, what makes a privately owned scooter worth the investment?
For Norris, the answer came from watching what was wrong with existing products.
“I founded Pure because there simply wasn’t a high-quality, truly safe electric scooter on the market,” he explains. “If we wanted more people to adopt these vehicles as a mode of mobility, we needed to create something safer.”
Pure’s solution drew on expertise from unexpected quarters. Norris recruited the former head of Dyson’s hairdryer project to lead design and consulted F1 engineers on stability. The result: a forward-facing stance that positions riders shoulder-width apart rather than one foot behind the other, lowering the centre of gravity like a racing car. Patented steering stabilisation technology reduces wobble at speed or on uneven terrain.
“These features significantly enhance safety and confidence, helping us broaden the market and encourage more people to enjoy the product,” Norris says.
The McLaren partnership, announced shortly after Lando Norris’s breakthrough Miami Grand Prix victory in 2024, brought the technology to a global audience. Limited-edition models, the Senna tribute, the iconic Papaya, the Chrome heritage edition, sold out within days. Today, the scooters are a fixture in F1 paddocks worldwide, ridden by drivers, team principals, and mechanics navigating the sprawling circuits.
The sustainability equation
Critics often question whether personal electric vehicles are genuinely green once manufacturing and battery disposal are factored in. Chalhoub pushes back.
“Using an electric scooter saves at least 120 grams of CO₂ per kilometre compared with traditional modes of transport,” he says. “It’s essential to evaluate the entire lifecycle, because certain stages can generate more emissions upfront. This idea is often misunderstood.
However, when assessed from production through daily use, both electric scooters and electric cars consistently produce lower overall emissions than combustion-based vehicles.”
The extent of those savings depends heavily on local energy grids. “In countries like Poland, where the grid is still coal-heavy, electric vehicles reduce lifetime emissions by around 33 per cent,” Chalhoub notes. “In France, where nuclear energy is prominent and renewables continue to grow, the reduction reaches about 75 per cent.”
The UAE sits somewhere in between, but is moving fast. The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to generate 75 per cent of the emirate’s power from clean sources, a trajectory that will progressively improve the carbon footprint of every electric kilometre travelled.
Air quality is perhaps the more immediate concern for Gulf cities. “Particulate matter produced by emissions is extremely harmful and is linked to cancer and other serious health issues,” Chalhoub says. “Reducing these emissions is critical, and electric mobility offers a clear path forward. We’re already seeing more residential communities and work environments in Dubai that are supportive of scooter use. For many short trips, there’s no need to rely on a car.”
Balancing price, quality and scale
Affordability remains a barrier for mass adoption. Premium electric scooters like the McLaren editions retail north of $1,500, a significant outlay in a market where cheap alternatives abound.
Norris acknowledges the tension but refuses to compete at the bottom.
“We serve different customer segments,” he says. “If we compare our product range to cars, we have a top-tier model, the McLaren edition. But we also realise that not everyone can afford it. That’s where the Pure Air comes in. It’s more comparable to an Audi: high-quality, reliable, well-designed, but not the most expensive option.”
The deliberate decision to avoid the budget segment stems from experience. “Cheaper alternatives often compromise on reliability and safety. Our priority has always been to deliver products that are durable and safe, even if that means not being the cheapest option.”
Reliability was among the most common complaints about earlier scooter generations. “People wanted a product they could depend on, something durable that would continue performing well for years,” Norris says. “They also wanted easy access to spare parts so that the scooter could be repaired if anything broke. With this new launch, we’ve focused on addressing those issues.”
Read: Riding an e-scooter in Dubai? Here’s how to get your official permit
Who’s actually buying?
The stereotype of the e-scooter rider, young, male, tech-forward, doesn’t match reality, according to Norris.
“We see a very diverse range of consumers, both male and female, young and old. In Europe, we’ve seen people in their 60s, as well as those with lower incomes who choose scooters because it’s cheaper than public transport. At the same time, high-income professionals, hedge fund managers earning several million a year, use them as a convenient means to navigate the city.”
What unites them is practicality. “If you’re at a hotel and your car is parked in a garage, taking an e-scooter can get you to your destination faster than walking to your vehicle. While cars remain essential for longer trips, scooters are perfect for short-distance travel within the city. Even people who own electric cars often rely on e-scooters for urban mobility.”
In the UAE, the McLaren editions have generated particular excitement. “We have fans from Brazil who are huge admirers of Ayrton Senna and were thrilled by the limited-edition McLaren scooter,” Chalhoub says. “The combination of the McLaren brand, precision engineering, and functionality makes these scooters stand out.”
But broader adoption requires infrastructure. “What we need now are more supportive regulations and designated areas to ride,” he adds.
From niche convenience to serious alternative
The ultimate question: will e-scooters remain a novelty, or become a genuine alternative to car trips?
Both founders are unequivocal.
“We genuinely believe that in the future, every person will have a scooter or a similar lightweight, zero-emission vehicle,” Chalhoub says. “Whether it remains electric or moves toward other technologies like hydrogen, it’s clear that cities will increasingly require zero-emission mobility solutions.”
The trajectory mirrors mobile phone adoption, they argue. “Nearly 25 years ago, mobile phone penetration started with just 1-2 per cent, then gradually grew to 5, 10, and eventually reached mass adoption,” Norris observes. “We see a similar story for electric scooters.”
Demographic shifts are accelerating the trend. “In Europe, fewer young people are taking driving licences as they live in cities and obtaining a licence can be complicated. Scooters offer a simple, affordable alternative, often cheaper than public transport. The same trend is seen with the rise of ride-hailing services like Uber, fewer people feel the need to own a car.”
Urban planning is catching up. Across Europe, cities are restricting or banning cars in certain areas, a movement that’s beginning to gain traction in the Gulf. “As urban centres continue to do this, people will need alternative ways to get around,” Chalhoub says. “Besides walking, bicycles are an option but can be inconvenient to lock and are often stolen. Lightweight, zero-emission vehicles like electric scooters provide an efficient and environment-friendly solution for short trips in dense urban environments.”
The road ahead
For Pure Electric, the Gulf expansion marks a pivotal moment. Founded in Bristol in 2018, the company now operates in eight countries with over 250,000 riders globally. The Middle East represents both a growth market and a proving ground, if scooters can handle Dubai summers and the region’s demanding urban landscape, they can work anywhere.
For EV LAB, the partnership extends a broader mission.
Beyond consumer scooters, the platform operates the UAE’s first multi-brand Electric Mobility Experience Centre, provides fleet electrification services to corporations (including a recent deal with luxury retailer Chalhoub Group), and distributes electric yachts from Silent Yachts and Marian Boats.
“Our ambition is to support companies across the region in their transition to electrifying their fleets,” Chalhoub says. “This partnership will demonstrate the viability and benefits of electric mobility.”
Norris, whose son continues to race at the pinnacle of motorsport – Lando was named the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Drivers’ World Champion at the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – while championing the family’s micromobility venture, sees the convergence as natural.
“We’re on a mission to improve city travel,” he says. “This collaboration reflects the pioneering engineering and design that we stand for, precision and performance, beyond the racetrack.”
Note: Pure Electric scooters, including the McLaren special editions, are available through EV LAB’s Experience Centre at One Central, Dubai World Trade Centre, and online at ev-lab.io.
