Parkopedia has partnered with EV charging solutions provider Regeny to provide Middle East drivers with charge point data in their vehicle head units, to simplify the process of locating chargers. Finding public charge points is a highly stressful experience for the vast majority of EV drivers, with 91% stating that this causes them anxiety, according to the latest Parkopedia Global Driver Survey.
This partnership will initially see UAE charging data available in cars from one of the premium global automakers, providing drivers with access to half of the EV chargers in the UAE. Offering such a high level of coverage in the UAE will significantly simplify the process of locating chargers for the rapidly growing number of EV drivers across the region and continue to improve adoption rates. Later this year, Middle Eastern drivers will also benefit from aggregated charging data in additional markets, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan – countries with a cumulative population of more than 200 million.
Regeny offers access to more than 50 active charging sites and aggregates nearly 2,000 charging ports across the UAE, with more than 500 of these deployed within the last year. The company’s OCPI roaming platform enables smart mobility and fleet owners to tap into the UAE’s aggregated charging network, with expansion into Saudi Arabia planned before the end of 2024.
The UAE was recently rated the world’s eighth most prepared country for autonomous driving, ranking ahead of the UK, Japan and Germany. This high rating was helped by having the highest level of technology infrastructure change readiness and the greatest readiness of drivers, with the UAE showing a high interest in new technology and strong demand for connected car services, which should ensure a fast uptake of such features.
Parkopedia is working with numerous CPOs to extend its charging POI data coverage across increasingly important markets, such as India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Chile. These partnerships will enable Parkopedia to provide seamless connected car services to global OEMs that take the stress out of finding and paying for parking and charging for their drivers across even more countries.
Discussing the new collaboration, Jaap van den Hoek, Global Head of Partnerships at Parkopedia, commented: “We recognise the importance of taking the stress out of locating public chargers for EV drivers across the world. This is equally as important in emerging EV markets, such as the Middle East, which show strong signs of EV growth and we are delighted to be working with Regeny as its ambitious growth plans align with our mission of providing seamless connected car services to drivers around the globe.”
Talking about the new partnership, Regeny co-founder and CEO, Anish Racherla, said: “Regeny is building a community of EV users and stakeholders making the shift to electric mobility seamless. Our collaboration with Parkopedia is the first in the region to enable charging information to be embedded in connected car ecosystems. This partnership will bring in an era of smart mobility for the UAE and Middle East.”