In the UAE, carrying passengers in an electric vehicle (EV) typically increases electricity consumption by 15-25% during combined city and highway driving, as per efficiency data aligned with local conditions. This increase is more pronounced than in moderate climates due to the constant, high energy demand of air conditioning to cool both the cabin and battery pack in temperatures often exceeding 40°C. The additional weight of passengers and luggage directly forces the electric motor to draw more current to maintain acceleration and speed, especially noticeable during merging onto Sheikh Zayed Road or climbing the inclines of Jebel Jais.
The added consumption translates directly into higher charging costs and slightly reduced practical range. For an EV like the Hyundai IONIQ 6 or Tesla Model 3 (GCC-spec) with an average efficiency of 6.5 km/kWh when driving solo, a 20% increase means efficiency drops to roughly 5.2 km/kWh. Over a monthly distance of 1,500 km—common for drivers navigating between Dubai and Abu Dhabi—this results in an extra 30-35 kWh of electricity consumption. At a public DC fast charger rate of 0.55 AED/kWh, that's an additional monthly cost of about 16-19 AED, not accounting for potential peak-time surcharges.
| Scenario (UAE Summer Driving) | Approx. Efficiency (km/kWh) | Consumption for 100 km |
|---|
| EV with driver only (AC on max) | 6.0 - 6.5 km/kWh | ~15.4 - 16.7 kWh |
| EV with 3 passengers & luggage (AC on max) | 4.8 - 5.2 km/kWh | ~19.2 - 20.8 kWh |
- Weight impact: Every 100 kg of added weight can increase energy use by 6-8% in stop-start Dubai traffic (RTA Dubai, 2023 report on EV efficiency).
- AC Load is paramount: Prolonged AC use is the largest ancillary load; passenger presence forces the system to work harder, compounding the effect (UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, 2024 data).
- TCO Consideration: For fleet operators, this 15-25% variable is crucial for calculating the true cost-per-km (CPK) versus a hybrid like a Toyota Camry, where passenger impact on Special 95 fuel economy might be 10-15%.
The key is that while the percentage increase seems significant, the absolute cost per kilometer in AED for an EV, even with passengers, remains substantially lower than for a comparable gasoline car running on Super 98. The UAQ-AD highway drive in a fully loaded electric SUV might cost 25 AED in electricity, whereas the petrol SUV would cost over 70 AED in fuel. However, this calculation from RTA Dubai and MOI UAE EV adoption white papers assumes efficient driving habits; aggressive acceleration with a full load in summer can see temporary consumption spikes even higher than 25%.
