published on EVWorld.com
EASY Eco-Car will soon begin selling Wheego LiFE electric vehicle, said to have a range of up to 100 miles per charge, joining similar sales in the Cayman Islands.
EASY Eco-Car, a division of EASY Car Sales located in Nassau (the Bahamas), will soon begin selling the Wheego LiFE electric vehicle, the first EV to be sold there. Cayman Automotive Leasing will be responsible for distribution of the vehicles. The Wheego LiFe is sourced from China, but the battery and drivetrain are both installed in California. It has a range of about 100 miles per charge, and can be driven on highways. The two-seater has rear cargo space and a top speed of 65 mph.
Sun Country Highway will implement a network of EV charger stations to support the Wheego LiFe rollout. The Bahamas and other Caribbean nations are especially good places for electric vehicles, because of the short travel distances that are typical for most drivers and the high gasoline costs. Also, the charging stations could be solar-powered because there is plenty of sunlight available there.
Adding electric cars is also a good way to preserve that island chain’s natural beauty because there will be less air pollution. About five million tourists visit the Bahamas each year, and most of them are from the United States. Gas-powered vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution in the Caribbean.
Electric vehicles are becoming more popular in the United States, so American tourists visiting the Bahamas may be delighted to find them while on vacation as well. Or finding them while on vacation may lead them to buying one in the States.
Of course, cars aren’t the only source of pollution in the Bahamas. Cruise ships that bring many tourists also emit air pollution by burning fuel oil. These huge vessels boost port economies but they also emit chemicals in their exhaust that can be hazardous to human health. Fuel oil and diesel fuel are both burned on the islands for the generation of electricity resulting in air pollution.
Fresh water there mostly comes from rainfall, so it is important that pollution be prevented so that it does not get into groundwater sources. It is important to protect natural resources in the Bahamas, as island ecology tends to be fragile and rising ocean levels combined with a huge annual influx of tourists present significant challenges.