Dubai to test 'zero-emission' electric bus

The United Arab Emirates’ largest city will soon roll out an electric bus that purportedly does not emit carbon dioxide. 

Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority signed an agreement yesterday with Australia’s BusTech Group to test the operation of a “zero-emission electric bus” that will operate as part of Dubai’s mass transit system. The plan is in line with Dubai’s committee to be carbon neutral by 2050, the authority said in a press release. 

A Road and Transport Authority spokesman told Al-Monitor that the bus will run trial routes between La Mer and Al Sufouh on Dubai's coastline. The buses are not yet on the road, according to the spokesman.  

Why it matters: Oil and gas remain major parts of the Emirati economy, but the Gulf state is increasingly pursuing green technology and renewable energy as it seeks to diversify. In June, state-owned entities sent clean ammonia to Japan and signed a solar and wind power cooperation deal with Azerbaijan, among other endeavors. 

An experimental waste-to-power plant also opened in the city of Sharjah in May. 

Know more: The Dubai Road and Transport Authority is seeking to improve the city’s overall public transportation system, and entered into a partnership with Singapore to this end in April. The Asian city has one of the best public transportation systems in the world. 

Electric vehicles are potentially good for the environment because they do not emit carbon dioxide when running. However, manufacturing electric vehicles impact the environment due to the energy required to make them, their reliance on rare earth metals, and a variety of other factors. 

Editor's note: this article was updated to include comments from the Road and Transport Authority.