Some Cubans Are Turning to Electric Bikes, Vehicles

Cuba's capital, Havana, is famous for its colorful vintage cars. They fill the streets and are often popular subjects for visitors' photographs.

But these days, Cubans are just as likely to be found traveling around town quickly and quietly on electric scooters made with Chinese parts.

"Electric motorcycles are solving a lot of problems in Cuba, they are already used for almost everything," said Omar Cortina. He is a Cuban hotel worker who recently purchased his first electric vehicle -- a lime-green scooter powered by a lithium battery.

Until recently, Cuba's roads had changed little in the years since former leader Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Old cars with old exhaust systems drove along uneven roads.

Today, electric vehicles are an increasingly common transportation choice. Between 2020 and 2022, Cuba-based companies produced more than 23,000 electric vehicles. That number comes from official government sources.

Fuel is hard to find and expensive

Fuel for combustion-powered engines has been hard to find for years in Cuba. People would wait in fuel lines for hours and sometimes even days.

Earlier this year, the price for gasoline increased to five times the usual price. That means a usual 40-liter tank of gas costs more than a state-worker's average monthly earnings. For most Cubans, that made purchasing gasoline nearly impossible.

Public transportation is hardly any better

But costly fuel is not the only problem.

There are fewer buses in Havana than there were in the past. This year, half the bus routes to points outside the capital were cut, state-run news agencies in Cuba report. Fuel and parts to repair old buses are also harder to find.

All these factors have helped to increase the demand for electric vehicles. Products from newly formed companies like Caribbean Electric Vehicles (Vedca) are helping to fill that demand.

Vedca is a joint venture between Chinese investor Tianjin Dongxing Industrial and Cuban state bicycle manufacturer Minerva. It has produced more than 2,000 scooters, bikes, and mini-tricycle trucks in Cuba with Chinese parts.

Juilo Oscar Perez is the company's director. Perez told reporters that electric vehicles are not just giving people another way of getting around. They are also solving fuel-related problems.

The company, Perez said, has also begun testing a new electric tractor and experimenting with other electric-powered heavy machinery.

Other small Cuban companies also sell electric bikes. Some bikes are basic while others are more costly. The government also recently began permitting imports of much costlier electric vehicles.

Imports of automobiles from the neighboring United States have risen to $24.6 million so far in 2024, the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council said. There is a growing number of Cubans who want more luxurious electric and hybrid automobiles, including Teslas.

But the number of Cubans who can pay for such vehicles is still small. For Omar Cortina, the hotel worker, just being able to get back and forth from work is enough of a selling-point.

I'm Anna Matteo.

Alien Fernandez reported this story for Reuters. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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vintage – adj. dating from the past : old

exhaust – n. a system of pipes through which exhaust escapes

internal combustion engines – n. a heat engine in which the combustion that generates the heat takes place inside the engine proper instead of in a furnace

factor – n. something that contributes to the production of a result

joint venture – n. a commercial enterprise undertaken jointly by two or more parties which otherwise retain their distinct identities

upscale – adj. relating to, being, or appealing to affluent consumers also : of a superior quality

luxurious – adj. characterized by opulence, sumptuousness, or rich abundance

hybrid – adj. a vehicle that uses both an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors to power it.