The recent announcement that Al-Futtaim have been granted the distributorship for Fisker Cars and the fact that Lexus, also distributed by Al-Futtaim, are increasing the number of hybrid models available in its range is interesting news. We know that other manufacturers have also had hybrid vehicles on test in this region to see how they stand up to the extreme climate.

What is more interesting is how many are there in the market at present? We know that Lexus were testing the LS600h in the UAE for a number of years before it was officially launched. The results of these tests were obviously good otherwise they would not risk damaging their reputation.

We do have some concerns about how these cars will perform in the used car market. We only have to look around to see the number of expats who choose to drive cars that they could not afford to run

back in their home country. With current cost of fuel in this region being significantly lower than back home and the rumour that it may drop in price there is no incentive to go “green” other than their conscience.

Whilst there will always be those who want to “do their bit” for the environment, we are not sure how many will ditch their gas guzzling SUV for a new or used hybrid.

There are also concerns about how environmentally friendly these cars are to produce and to dispose of at the end of their life?

We will be closely monitoring the sales and re-sales of these cars in the region before we pass judgment. At the moment, “The jury is out in the hybrid case”


For any comments or feedback please contact us.

Bill Carter
Head of Valuations
Autodata Middle East
Email: bcarter@autodata.ae