Video: RTA introduces Teslas to Dubai Taxi fleet

You can now hail a ride and cruise around town in a brand-new Tesla, after the RTA introduced 50 of the electric cars (with self-driving technology included) to the Dubai Taxi fleet.

The limousine fleet of Dubai Taxi will soon to be hitting the streets, and all the cars are fitted with self-driving technology. It forms part of Dubai’s plans to become the smartest city in the world, with more plans afoot to convert 25 percent of all journeys in the city to driverless by 2030. For now, the cars are only fitted with several self-driving components, they don’t actually drive themselves yet.

As well as developing self-driving cars, Tesla is one of the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturers, and will play a big part in the Green Economy for Sustainable Development Initiative – which recently saw DEWA launch super-fast electric car charging points in Dubai.
50 cars have been introduced for now, but more will be arriving over the coming years.

“The RTA has recently taken delivery of 50 Tesla vehicles as part of a deal for 200 vehicles signed last February on the sidelines of the World Government Summit 2017,” said His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA. “Accordingly, 75 vehicles will be supplied in 2018, and 75 others to be delivered in 2019. The Dubai Taxi Corporation has coordinated with the concerned parties to provide the needed infrastructure to ensure the operation of these vehicles including the provision of 13 electric recharging stations.” 
Two Tesla models are currently contracted by the RTA, the sedan Model S, and the SUV Model X.