Can electric vehicles survive Saint Lucia’s mountainous terrain? This has been a burning question among car enthusiasts and potential buyers. Concerns include steep slopes that require more power, draining batteries faster than flat roads, and frequent climbs that reduce an EV’s range – making route planning more critical.
To address these concerns, St Lucia Times spoke with Neron Joseph, brand manager for Audi and BYD at JQ Motors. Joseph acknowledged that overheating is a valid concern but assured that newer models imported by his dealership are equipped to handle it.
“One of the main things people tend to worry about is the heat here in Saint Lucia,” he said. “But we’ve made a consistent effort in the vehicles that we bring in to ensure that all have active and passive cooling systems built into the batteries so that heat management is not a problem.”
He explained that earlier EV models suffered from rapid battery degradation, losing significant range over time. However, newer models with advanced cooling systems perform much better.
In December 2024, LUCELEC launched a network of EV chargers across the island as part of a push toward sustainable transport. Still, more infrastructure, especially fast chargers, is needed to encourage wider adoption. Joseph urged the government to provide incentives to accelerate the transition, acknowledging, however, that the upfront fast charging costs would be higher.
“But that is going to go a very long way in getting people to adopt the technology. People will buy gas vehicles because there’s a gas station every couple of miles; you don’t worry about that now,” he noted.
“With an electric vehicle, if you fully charge the thing at home, you will go anywhere in Saint Lucia and back … and you will still have change. But to get the majority of people to actually readily adopt the technology… what we need is to have fast chargers located conveniently along the span of Saint Lucia.”
St Lucia Times also spoke with Dr Curtis Boodho, sustainable energy expert and chairman of the CARICOM Electric Vehicle Workgroup, about government efforts. He noted that CARICOM nations, including Saint Lucia, have committed to climate action by promoting renewable energy and EVs through tax incentives.
Saint Lucia offers concessions for electric vehicles, as do many CARICOM countries, he said.
“Administrations and governments throughout the region accept that this is the technology we need to adopt to move forward.”
The EV market is still growing in Saint Lucia and globally. As sustainable transport becomes essential in fighting climate change, the question remains whether the country can keep pace with international demands.
All I read in this article are people trying to justify and market EV