Photo Feature by Ernesto Gonzlaez Díaz
HAVANA TIMES – Amid an unprecedented energy crisis with no end in sight, these electric vehicles offer significant relief for both the transport of goods and people who can afford them.
Around half of Cuba’s electricity generation comes from thermoelectric plants, which can run on Cuban crude oil. As is well known, Cuban crude is very heavy and cannot be refined into gasoline or diesel. Consequently, virtually all the fuel needed for internal combustion vehicles must be imported, as well as the fuel required for the back-up electricity generator sets.
This situation has led both the state and private sectors to seek alternatives to address the difficult energy issue. One such alternative is electric tricycles, which, at a time when a liter of gasoline can cost up to 3,500 pesos (about $8), they are helping to alleviate the crisis. To charge them, the owners wait for the time of day when there is electricity, and in some cases they are using solar photovoltaic panels that are being installed in different parts of the country.
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