UAE Student Unveils Hybrid Cars

Al Amiri Post With Cars

Fuel-efficient hybrid cars could be hitting Abu Dhabi roads in the near future if Saleh Al Amiri’s dream project materialises into a viable auto model.

"More than just an engineering project, I want to seriously look into the commercial feasibility of a hybrid car," Al Amiri, 23, who is a final year student at the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi, told XPRESS.

Al Amiri and his group is one of 11 teams competing in the region’s first hybrid-electric car race for engineering students that will be held at Abu Dhabi’s Al Forsan racetrack from January 29-31.

The event is organised by Taqa, the Abu Dhabi-based international energy company, in cooperation with the Petroleum Institute.

A total of 120 men and women in 11 teams have been drawn from various universities in the UAE and three from other GCC countries.

Al Amiri said the hybrid car was put together by his team in just one month, has super safety features. "It can go to 60km/h, but the current design can’t move backward," said Al Amiri.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference held at the Galleria Mall on Monday to unveil two hybrid cars made by them. However, he admits it was a challenge to design and build a car based on alternative energy technologies. "We have used a battery made from lithium, magnesium and phosphate and the car can run for three to four hours."

The cost of building a hybrid car was around $10,000 (Dh37,000).

Al Amiri said after the competition he plans to improvise on the design and have it exhibited at the World Expo 2020. But Al Amiri’s idea is not shared by all.

Dr Saif S. Al Sayari, head of energy solutions at Taqa, told XPRESS that the idea behind the competition is to give the students an opportunity to try out what they’ve learned in classrooms.

"We are not looking at developing a commercial product that can be sold in the market. What this competition will deliver is the next generation of energy efficiency-obsessed engineers who will play a crucial role in developing a sustainable economy for the UAE and the region," said Al Sayari.