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Dubai university to develop sustainable electric motorcycles for last-mile deliveries

Project aimed at cutting dependence on fossil fuels and reducing carbon footprints

A Dubai university has joined forces with a sustainable vehicle company, to develop a range of three innovative electric motorcycles that will transform last-mile transportation.

The project with One Moto will be conducted in the first-of-its-kind Smart Mobility and Innovation Centre.

The new, iconic and industry changing electric motorcycles are expected to be adopted by individual commuters as well as last-mile delivery and logistics companies and are anticipated to go to market in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The new partnership will see Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Dubai’s engineering faculty and students collaborate on the research, design, fabrication, and testing for the new electric vehicles, aiming to achieve the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategy.

Dr Ghalib Kahwaji, Chair of the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Principal Investigator of the Geothermal Coupling of Refrigeration Systems research, and lead for the Sustainability and Energy Efficiency Center, is among the RIT Dubai faculty involved in this latest initiative.

He underlines, “The One Moto project will revolutionise the application of electric motorcycles in the delivery and logistics industry in the UAE and the region. It is at the core of the sustainability research track at RIT.”

He adds, “By helping to minimize the dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the carbon footprint of the country, it will speed up the progress towards net zero energy and pollution goals. This project will also serve as an excellent opportunity for industrial and entrepreneurial training for the students, readying them for the future job market.”

Explaining the initiative on how the new project builds on a range of ongoing initiatives led by RIT Dubai to support the goals of the UAE 2050 environment strategy.

Dr Al-Assaf says, “Sustainability is one of the pillars on which RIT’s new campus was built. It is interwoven in our brand identity, and we are therefore committed to working on environmentally friendly projects that support the overall vision of this country.”

The University’s Sustainability and Energy Efficiency Center is already working on research projects with leading international companies and universities to explore the geothermal coupling of refrigeration systems, the creation of biofuels from palm waste, and the use of water from air harvesting.

One Moto is planning the development of three new vehicles, alongside swappable battery banks, using industry-changing innovation and hyper-modular designs and applications.

Company representatives aver they apply the principles of environmental sustainability and driver safety in the development of its vehicles, using recycled materials and data capture technology.

Shedding light on the new collaboration, One Moto Founder and CEO, Adam Ridgway opines, “We are delighted to unite expertise to ensure we are collectively redesigning the way we move, from a position of sustainability, efficiency, data-driven wisdom and to ensure we embed our technology and innovation within the DNA of the UAE Government’s green initiatives. United we will demonstrate the UAE action before COP28 and work towards our mission, to electrify all last-mile vehicles in the UAE by 2024.”