Seven Tides' Dubai hotels debut Tesla chargers

Developer Seven Tides has installed Tesla Destination Charging connectors at three of its Dubai properties – Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, Dukes Dubai on Palm Jumeirah and the Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate.

Located at the entrance of each hotel, the two Tesla charging stations allow Tesla-driving residents and guests to add up to 90km per hour range to the battery.

Seven Tides CEO Abdulla bin Sulayem said in a statement: "Sustainability is integral to every area of our organisation. We want to reduce our carbon footprint and help others to do the same. So to promote a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle and transition to alternate transport solutions, we are happy to offer these charging stations across our properties for free."

This is in line with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to make Dubai a global centre of clean energy and a more sustainable economy by providing 7% of the emirate’s total energy output from clean resources by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050.

The Destination Charger is a type 2 charging unit, which can charge vehicles from a range of 7-22 kW, with the average charge time between 3-4 hours depending on the battery level.

The UAE is focusing heavily on increasing the number of electric-powered cars on the road and there are currently more than 25 Destination Charger locations in the UAE, 18 in Dubai, six in Abu Dhabi and one in Ras al Khaimah.

Tesla signed a deal with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority earlier this year for 200 electric vehicles, and Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of the California-based auto manufacturer (who was named by Bin Sulayem as an inspiration), has previously announced in Dubai that his vehicles would enter the UAE market this summer and will be supported by a new service under construction in Dubai and another in Abu Dhabi in 2018.

Mall of the Emirates launched nine Tesla charging stations last month (March 2017).