Dubai Municipality’s transportation department has taken delivery of a fleet of 20 Toyota Prius cars in a further step towards the authority’s commitment to make 10% of its fleet hybrid or eco-friendly.
The authority is moving towards eco-friendly fleet both to cut emissions and to reduce both its maintenance and operational costs.
To qualify under the authority’s own targets, the rate of emissions reduction for any vehicle seeking to qualify as eco-friendly must be in the range of 36% to 74% during the first 50km driven by the unit.
The Toyota Prius certainly qualifies with its integrated gasoline and electric motors, as well as a large battery that is also charged when braking and decelerating.
The hybrid system uses the electric motor to provide just enough power when driving at low speeds, and the petrol engine to deliver performance at high speeds.
The stored energy of the battery unit is sufficient to power the vehicle from a distance of anywhere from 700km to 1,100km.
The fleet of Toyota Prius cars was handed over by Al Futtaim Motors in the presence of Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, director-general of Dubai Municipality.
The Dubai authority is also an active participant in the Green Transport Initiative launched by the Supreme Council of Energy, which aims to encourage the use of sustainable transportation of hybrid and electric vehicles.