While road transportation makes up 15 per cent of global CO2 emissions, experts believe the effort to change the local transport system from gas to electric is a victory for the environment.
However, there are questions on whether there will be an impact soon.
In the 2022 Budget, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert reiterated the Government’s commitment to promote a green economy and reduce T&T’s carbon footprint. Imbert proposed to remove all custom duties, motor vehicle taxes and value-added tax on the importation of battery-powered electric vehicles with an age limit of two years.
It will take effect from January 1, 2022.
Katherine Agong, a transportation planner for the past 20 years, says coupling electric vehicles with reliable service from the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) will also reduce the country’s carbon footprint. Agong, a former senior transportation planner at the Ministry of Works and Transport, said the cost of electric vehicles are decreasing worldwide as they gain popularity. However, she said the prices were still too high for the average citizen.
Agong said many people could not afford a regular combustion engine vehicle. It means that although the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle could be cheaper with the Government’s removal of fees, many people will continue with regular cars and pick-ups for the next five to 10 years. Even the cost of maintaining an electric vehicle may be too expensive, as a battery could cost around $40,000.
She said people would have to compare the yearly cost of owning an electric vehicle with using reliable bus service. Vehicle maintenance could include changing a cell in a battery and insurance.
“I think it would be imperative for us to look at transport as a whole. So look at all of the population’s needs in terms of what they want. Based on my research, people want better, more reliable public transportation, particularly the PTSC buses. It would be good to have electric PTSC buses and have a more reliable bus service so that we can look, at the same time, at trying to protect the environment,” Agong said.
Rishi Ramroopsingh, senior service manager of commercial at ANSA Motors, meanwhile said there are savings to be had.
Ramroopsingh, a mechanical engineer with training in electric vehicles, explained that an electric vehicle does not have a combustion engine that conventional gasoline and diesel-powered models use. Instead, it uses a battery and a motor. It is not a hybrid vehicle, which uses both engine and motor.
Some electric cars have a high capacity battery and can store more power than a regular 12-volt battery. Like conventional vehicles, the battery starts the vehicle and the alternator takes over.
It can cost an estimated $40,000 for a high capacity battery, compared to a regular 12-volt battery which cost between $300-$1,000. However, Ramroopsingh explained that a high capacity battery could last between 10-15 years with proper maintenance. He said that in most cases, an owner would only change a cell rather than the battery. A cell might cost around $4,000, depending on the type of vehicle.
While some people say a downside of an electric vehicle is that you cannot drive through floodwaters, Ramroopsingh said it is the same for conventional vehicles, as people should never drive through floodwaters. Electric vehicles can operate in rainy weather.
The Regulated Industries Commission has a charging station along Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain and stations at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus and the Unipet Service Station in Chaguanas. You can also power your vehicle at home.
As for ANSA Motors, Ramroopsingh said the company has technicians trained to service electric vehicles.