The Government of Montserrat is looking into the feasibility of converting its fleet into electric vehicles and is inviting civil servants to test drive their car as part of an Electric Vehicle Pilot Project.
The project, spearheaded by the Energy Unit within the Ministry of Communications, Works, Energy and Labour is expected to start after January 8th and for the rest of the month.
The aims are:
1. To determine the cost effectiveness of operating a Nissan TEKNA LEAF 11OkW electric vehicle in Montserrat when compared to an Internal Combustion Vehicle (lCV) with a similar horse power;
2. To conduct a driver acceptability test on the operation of an electric vehicle;
3. To conduct a public transportation survey to gather information on the public energy consumption and usage pattern. Additionally, the survey will aim to gauge the public’s opinion towards making minor changes to the transportation sector to improve the overall efficiency of the sector; and
4. To conduct a feasibility analysis on converting the current government fleet of vehicles to electric vehicles.
Oswen Carty of the Energy Unit said the plan is to “allow government personnel to drive the electric vehicle we currently have at MCWEL and participate in the data collection through that and also through the driver acceptability survey. The survey will be used to assess persons feelings and thoughts towards electric vehicles and the possibility of purchasing them.”
Another aim is to measure the impact of the islands topography and temperatures on the performance of an EV. The information produced will be used to assess the practicality of owning an EV, as well as people’s willingness to make minor changes to their mode of transport.
Interested public servants should contact the Energy Unit via email to CartyO@gov.ms or BurkeK@gov.ms by Wednesday, January 8, 2020.
Participants will need to undergo an initial driving session before being accepted into the study.
