Cubans take to the streets in Chinese electric cars

Havana Cuba.- Omar Cortina Coppi commutes daily between his job at a government hotel and his home, in addition to moving around in search of food and other basic goods to cover his expenses.

But after buying a Chinese electric motorcycle last week in Cuba, he can now put the tedious public transportation off his daily list of worries.

“Electric motorcycles solve many problems in Cuba. It’s a good solution and one of the most economical,” Cortina told Reuters, proudly showing off his new lime-green scooter. Cuba’s streets have changed little in the six decades since former leader Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution: old American cars with soot-filled exhausts, plentiful potholes and light traffic.

But the sudden arrival of electric cars – already common in the country – has proven a boon to many in a country with scarce transportation and hit by an economic crisis.

Fuel is always in short supply in Cuba, with lines at gas stations sometimes stretching for hours or days. Earlier this year, soaring prices meant a 40-litre tank of gasoline could cost the average government employee’s monthly salary, beyond the reach of most Cubans. Public transport is no fun. State media reported that there are far fewer buses in Havana and half the roads have been cut off. The global boom in electric car manufacturing has helped boost demand for companies like Caribbean Electric Vehicles (FEDCOC), says its director, Julio Oscar Perez. The company, a joint venture between Chinese investor Tianjin Dongxing Industrial and Cuban state motorcycle company Minerva, produces more than 2,000 motorcycles and bicycles, as well as pickup trucks and tricycles in Cuba with Chinese parts. “I think we’ve reached a turning point,” Perez told Reuters in an interview. “That is, we don’t see it as just an alternative to mobility, but to the other alternatives that exist today, which are limited fuel.” On a recent workday at the company’s factory outside Havana, some of Vedca’s 64 employees assembled plastic parts, arranging wires and nuts on an orderly assembly line, while others greeted customers arriving to pick up their motorcycles. The government recently gave the green light to more expensive electric car imports, even luxury Teslas, though few in Cuba can afford the benefits. “In a few years, almost all transportation will be electric,” said Cortina, who relished being able to get to work without the hassle of public transportation.