Prime Minister Mark Phillips yesterday unveiled Guyana’s first publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging station at the Amazonia Mall in Providence.
The station is one of six that are now officially accessible to the public, a release from the Office of the Prime Minister said. These public charging stations are currently under a three-month trial and testing phase supervised by Guyana Energy Agency’s (GEA) engineers.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Government through the GEA, was established at a cost of $39.3m.
Phillips said that the charging stations align with the Government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030.
“We are encouraging more use of renewable energy sources. So, in this case, motor vehicle users can transition from using gasoline or diesel vehicles”, the release said.
He described the convenience of the six strategically located charging stations, making it possible to charge vehicles while travelling along Guyana’s coast.
The stations are also located at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Timehri, the Giftland Mall on the East Coast of Demerara, Little Rock Suites in New Amsterdam, S & R Parking Lot in Parika, and outside the GEA’s Office on Quamina Street, Georgetown.
Speaking about future investment plans, the Prime Minister added, “This is just the beginning. In the 2024 budget, we will request funding to install additional charging stations”.
He said charging stations will be installed throughout Guyana, including Linden, enabling electric vehicle users to travel seamlessly across the country.
To encourage greater use of electric vehicles, the Prime Minister reminded that the Government has removed the 14 per cent VAT on new electric motor vehicles less than four years old, urging Guyanese to invest in this environmentally friendly transportation.
Phillips also emphasised the competitive pricing, stating, “At $80 per kilowatt-hour, that’s very affordable for anybody with an electric vehicle,” as he compared it to other Caribbean charging rates for electric vehicles ranging from G$81-G$176 per kWh, and $156-G$183 per kWh.
