Emirates: The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) on Friday registered a new patent for an innovative system for charging electric cars.

Developed at the UAE public service infrastructure company’s research center, the system specializes in smart charging stations for all types of electric vehicles using a single cable and plug, regardless of whether the vehicle is charged using alternating or direct currents.

Designed to make charging stations as user-friendly as possible, it simplifies the process and allows drivers of electric vehicles to charge them without having to use their own charging cables.

The charging station adapts the cable and the charging process automatically to the vehicle’s requirements, so that all electric vehicles are charged through one system. The authority’s research and development center is currently working on building a prototype for further studies.

Saeed Mohammed Al-Tayer, managing director and CEO of the DEWA, said the new system was an important scientific achievement which was environment and driver-friendly and would enhance the authority’s position as one of the leading service institutions in the world.

“DEWA works to accelerate the shift toward a green economy and make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050.

“(The authority) works to harness innovation and creativity to encourage the use of sustainable transport and increase the number of government electronic and hybrid vehicles,” he added.

Al-Tayer said the system would also reduce carbon emissions in ground transport, the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter in Dubai.

It is the second patent registered by the center and four more are currently underway, he added.

Vice president of DEWA’s research and development center, Saif Almheiri, said: “The center adopts an approach that focuses on improving DEWA’s services to customers by developing the latest sustainable technologies and solutions for energy and water as well as conducting researches and submitting more scientific journals and innovations to maintain DEWA’s global leadership.”

Edwin Rodriguez-Ubinas, senior researcher at the center and co-inventor, said: “The universal electric vehicle charger idea centered on a research project on human-centric electric vehicle charging stations.

“The project aims to find innovative solutions to challenges faced by customers during the traditional charging process in stations with standard, fast, and non-straightforward services.

The center has published 65 scientific papers on clean energy. 

The public services authority has installed more than 270 Green Charger stations throughout Dubai and owners of electric vehicles registered for Green Charger services can charge for free until Dec. 31 next year. Charging offers are also available for commercial vehicles for entities, governmental, and semi-governmental organizations.