PIA Farmer of EASY CAR SALES, pictured with Joan Albury, CEO and Founder of the TCL Group, offered a video presentation on the “Evolution of Transportation to Electric Vehicles” at the recent Bahamas Business Outlook.
By YOURI KEMP
Tribune Business Reporter
ykemp@tribunemedia.net
The Bahamas' first electric car dealership owner yesterday said it expects to "double" its growth rate for 2020 with vehicles said to be going “great".
Pia Farmer, owner of Easy Car Sales, told Tribune Business: "We're looking forward to a huge success this year. We are witnessing one of the greatest technological revolutions in transportation since the invention of the combustion engine 140 years ago.
“Over 10m plug-in cars are expected on the global roads in 2020, and analysts predict that by 2040 more than half of all the vehicles on the road will be electric. And while EVs (electric vehicles) make up less than 2 percent of new car sales worldwide, in The Bahamas sales of 100 percent electric vehicles are trending at 7 percent, much higher than the world average”.
Estimating that there are currently more than 200 EVs on The Bahamas' roads, Easy Car Sales expects their number to double this year and continue growing thereafter as the public discovers the potential savings from switching to electric transportation.
Ms Farmer added: “We now drive out of our way to fill up a conventional car at the gas station. We pay an average $4 per gallon of gasoline to drive 25 to 30 miles, while charging your EV from the BPL grid costs only $1 to go the same distance. This represents a 75 percent savings on fuel, and charging at home, at work or at free public charging stations is much more convenient and stress free.”
She asserted that this is a major reason for EV adoption, adding: “EVs are solar ready. Charging your electric car from solar power produced on your roof will cost you only 38 cents per gallon equivalent, making electric transportation the logical choice for sunny Bahamas.”
Comments
K4C 3 years, 9 months ago
What a farce, in a country where there ISN'T a reliable source of electricity
JohnQ 3 years, 9 months ago
The downstream pollution that results from the batteries and other materials in the power train of electric vehicles is or should be a very large concern. While technology is improving, the disposal of batteries has the potential for long term environmental problems. Not to mention that making a lithium-ion battery is an energy-intensive manufacturing process as well. Often this energy comes from carbon-emitting sources. An electric car needs a massive amount of lithium; the battery pack in a Tesla Model S needs 140 pounds of lithium, the amount in 10,000 cell phones. China is a main source of lithium and lithium processing. Without an intensive and expensive recycling effort the problem compounds.....pollution and more dependency on China. EV's may have place in transportation going forward......but they are not currently environmentally friendly.
The_Oracle 3 years, 9 months ago
And charging them at BEC/BPL rates is expensive. My Son owns and drives a TESLA Y. Charges it (automatically) when the utility rates are one cent/KWH. ONE CENT! (between the hours of midnight-6am.) his peak rate (TOU rate structure) is 16Cents/KWH at its highest.(peak times)
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