Cuba's Electric Revolution: From Vintage Cars to E-Scooters

Cuba is transitioning from vintage cars to electric scooters due to economic pressures and fuel shortages. Companies like Caribbean Electric Vehicles are producing thousands of electric vehicles with Chinese parts. The shift addresses transportation issues and offers a practical solution to Cuba's fuel limitations.

Havana, long famed for its colorful vintage cars, is now seeing a surge in the use of electric scooters made with Chinese parts. This shift is driven by economic pressures and a scarcity of fuel.

"Electric motorcycles are solving a lot of problems in Cuba," says Omar Cortina, a hotel worker who recently bought his first electric scooter. Until recently, Cuba's roads had changed little since Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, filled with old cars emitting sooty exhaust. Now, electric vehicles are proving essential in the communist-run nation.

Between 2020 and 2022, Cuba-based companies produced more than 23,000 electric vehicles, with demand growing due to an economic crisis affecting fuel supply and public transportation. Fuel shortages have led to long queues, while public transport is often crowded and uncomfortable.

Julio Oscar Perez, director of Caribbean Electric Vehicles, notes that conditions have driven demand for their products, which include scooters, bikes, and mini-tricycle trucks. The company is also testing electric tractors and heavy machinery, a sign of electric mobility's expanding role in Cuba's future.

Imports of electric vehicles from the U.S. have spiked, attracting a new class of business owners. Despite the high cost, some individuals are opting for luxurious electric and hybrid vehicles, including Teslas. For most Cubans like Cortina, however, these transitions promise a future where all transportation might be electric.

(With inputs from agencies.)