Plans Being Made for Converting to Electric Vehicles

All new vehicles for the public fleet are to be electric.

This is the intention of the Government as disclosed by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, when he addressed the House of Representatives in his contribution to the Budget Debate on Thursday (March 17).

The Prime Minister said this would apply to vehicles that are not required to traverse off-road terrains and is the new arrangement that will obtain when the country’s electric vehicle policy is implemented.

“The world is reaching a tipping point for the adoption of electric vehicles. A number of global automobile manufacturers have decided to discontinue the manufacture of internal combustion engine by 2030 to meet regulatory requirements for climate change goals. Jamaica must not be left behind,” he said.

The Prime Minister stressed that Jamaica cannot become the “dumping ground” for fossil fuel vehicles and be saddled with them while the rest of the world is advancing.

“We must take the decisions that we are going to be on the cutting edge as well,” the Prime Minister empahsised, noting that the electric vehicle policy will be brought to Cabinet shortly.

The electric vehicle policy will create an enabling environment for the use of the technology in the public transportation space.

Electric vehicles are believed to be significantly cleaner and safer for the environment than traditional gasolene vehicles.

Mr. Holness pointed out, however, that because vehicles have such long lifetimes, there will be a relatively long lead time between implementing policy changes and seeing the impact on the environment and the country’s oil imports. “We must, therefore, act quickly,” he said.

The Prime Minister said government has developed a strategic framework to guide the introduction of electric vehicles in Jamaica. This was done with the assistance of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

“According to the IDB, a conversion to e-mobility of 12 to 16 per cent of our private and public fleet, would result in savings to Jamaica of approximately two per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). That’s significant,” he said.

Jamaica has set a goal that 10 per cent of transportation should be powered by electric vehicles by 2030.