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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
( Photo: Tim Aylen, Bahamas Visual Services)
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Elijah Knowles is only 15. But the 11th grader who isn’t even old enough to have a driver’s license knows exactly what kind of car he wants.
“Electric,” he said without a split second’s hesitation. “First an electric car and then when I am older, an electric truck one day.”
Knowles, who attends St. Anne’s and is a member of the Bahamas National Trust junior program, was among the first of nearly 200 people who turned out to witness the inaugural plug-in to the first public charging station for electric cars in Nassau April 9 at the Retreat, Trust headquarters, on Village Road.
For many the event was less about history and more about checking out the Nissan Leaf, getting behind the wheel of the world’s best-selling electric vehicle, taking the silent sedan for a turn on Nassau’s streets. Easy Car Sales on Gladstone Road began importing the Leaf in February and already the e-car has captured headlines, public attention and growing number of fans.
“I knew it was good for the environment,” said Phylese Hanna. “I just didn’t realize it would be so attractive. It’s really nice.”
From toddlers in strollers to great grandparents who remember childhood days of horse and buggy, the event drew those interested for the Leaf’s minimal environmental impact and others who were just curious about a car that emits no fumes, burns no fuel and makes no sound.
Sean Grazette of Easy Car Sales (center in blue) demonstrates how to use an electric car charging station Saturday at the Bahamas National Trust headquarters on Village Road in Nassau. Gas prices and environmental concerns are creating a surge in demand for electric cars, including the Nissan Leaf, which has been available at Easy Car Sales since February. ( Photo: Tim Aylen, Bahamas Visual Services)
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“Electric cars will change your life,” said Farmer who drove a Leaf for two years prior to urging Easy Car Sales to begin importing them. “There are a thousand car parts you will never need to repair or replace again. This is your mechanic,” she told the crowd, pointing to a highly specialized laptop with Leaf diagnostic software. According to experts, operating an electric car reduces overall expenses in fuel and maintenance by 75%, while import duties and insurance costs are also reduced. But many base the decision to go e-power on environmental principles.
“The electric car is about taking another step in the right direction in protecting our environment by operating a vehicle that emits no fumes and burns no fossil fuels,” said Minister of Environment and Housing Kenred Dorsett who cut the ribbon and plugged in as the crowd cheered. “The choices we make today will impact the future our children have tomorrow. It is very smart of Easy Car Sales to utilize the Bahamas National Trust in this manner and I congratulate both. Electric vehicles help us in the global fight to eliminate greenhouse gases.”
Pia Farmer, left, a director at Easy Car Sales, looks on as Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett (center) and Eric Carey, Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust, try out the first public charging station for electric cars at the headquarters of Bahamas National Trust on Village Road in Nassau. ( Photo: Tim Aylen, Bahamas Visual Services)
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Those gases are thought to be largely responsible for climate change and with The Bahamas designated as one of the countries at greatest risk as a result of rising seas, Farmer believes it is up to every individual to do his or her part.
BNT Executive Director Eric Carey agrees and assured those who may still have doubts that the car delivers what it promises.
“I know it (the Nissan Leaf) is reliable. I know it is quiet. I know it works,” said Carey. “It isn’t often that you get the opportunity to do something that is good for your pocketbook and good for the environment.”
The e-car gets 80-100 miles on a single charge, the slightly used model sells for just under $20,000, and the Nissan Leaf is the world’s best-selling electric car with more than 200,000 on the road. In countries where e-cars are popular, so are public charging stations. Malls, big box stores and even parks install them to attract drivers who want a quick charge while they sip, shop or dine.
“The Caribbean may, in fact, be the best place in the world for the mass adoption of electric vehicles,” said Farmer. “When you take into account the relatively small size of islands, their flat terrain, an abundance of solar or windenergy, and the costly reliance on imported petroleum products, there’s a compelling case for a shift towards zero emission, electric transportation. It is our hope and our belief that as The Bahamas becomes increasingly sensitive to environmental impact, electric cars will continue to increase in popularity.”
Consumer preferences are also playing a role in the rising popularity of electric cars. At the high end of the auto market, Tesla’s success—it sold 17,400 worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2015—is spurring other high-end luxury automakers to redouble their efforts. In December 2015, BMW sold 656 i8 models, which cost about $140,000, and Porsche is working on an all-electric sports car. And, now, with the steadily declining price of batteries along with the glut of oil that will stifle production due to low prices, the automobile industry is developing “faster, safer, cheaper” electric vehicles.
Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett talks with electric car importer Pia Farmer and checks out the ‘mechanic’, a laptop that diagnoses the Nissan LEAF for its annual complementary check-up. Elijah Knowles, in background, checks out all the LEAFs available for a test drive at the Bahamas National Trust April 9 during the launch of the first public charging station. Knowles, 15, may represent the future of the auto consumer profile – he only plans to drive electric and never intends to own a gas or diesel vehicle. ( Photo: Tim Aylen, Bahamas Visual Services)
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