THE GREEN FILES
By Sonia Green-Brown, PE
Issue 226- Talking Electric Cars with Pia Farmer of Easy ECO Car Sales
Sonia Brown of Green Files talks with Pia Farmer of Easy ECO Car Sales about the Possibilities of the Electric Car Market in The Bahamas
1.You had been in the car sales business for some time. What made you want to sell electric cars?
I have always been interested in things and ideas which are friendly to the environment, I recycle and reuse, even compost, so from the first moment that I heard about vehicles that could operate without burning fossil fuels or polluting the air, without sacrificing comfort, I was fascinated. Three years ago, my husband John and I went to investigate these cars in the Cayman Islands where they are quite popular. I ordered mine right away and after two years of driving my Nissan Leaf I know that I’m never going back to gas. I believe that we are on the brink of a whole new era in transportation – green and clean and a whole lot of pep!
2. Why should consumers take a chance on a car they don’t know about?
While the electric car that we are importing, the Nissan LEAF, is new to The Bahamas, it is the biggest selling electric car in the world. More than 200,000 have been sold, and Nissan is a well known brand. Other companies such as Ford are producing 100% electric vehicles. Just look at the fact that over 250,000 people made a $1,000 deposit to reserve the Tessla Model 3 EV that won’t even be released until the end of 2017. That indicates the level of interest, and confidence that electric cars are here to stay.
It is important to note that while EVs are great for the environment, they are significantly more efficient than cars with an internal combustion engine, and they are very cost effective, saving drivers about 75% in their transportation costs. That’s a lot of savings for people who spend a huge portion of their budget on getting from here to there. It is also very affordable to buy, with our slightly driven 2013-2014 models starting at about $20,000.
3. Does it drive like a regular car, what about servicing and how long will it take to charge?
It absolutely drives like a “regular” car, most people don’t even realize my car is electric, until they notice how quiet it is! It can go up to highway speeds (about 90 mph) and actually takes off much faster than expected, 0 to 30 mph in 3 seconds. The Nissan Leaf can go for 80 to 100 mile range on a single charge. I suspect that on New Providence, which is only 21 x 7miles, most people drive less than 30 miles per day, (Statistics are 35 miles per day average use in the USA) so there is no problem driving all day on one charge. You just plug in the car into a grounded plug anywhere to charge it, usually you are just “topping it up” the miles you drove that day, so it takes a few hours, faster if you install at 240v. charger.
As for servicing, EVs don’t have a combustion engine, so there is no oil change, no spark plugs, or transmission or radiator. There are 1,000 parts in a combustion engine car which are not in an EV, so you never have to buy, replace or service them or send them to the landfill again! The diagnostic tool is a laptop, which you plug your car into once a year, and it produces a 6 page report on the status of your vehicle. Easy Car Sales has trained technicians for repairs.
4. My electricity bill is already high will this add to my costs?
If you average $40 a week in gas costs, you will spend approximately $10 a week in electricity instead. Yes! At our local rates! Add the savings on parts and repairs and you can see how economical it is. Let alone the savings to our environment.
5. Why do you think this car is good for our market?
As mentioned, there is no distance / range anxiety on a small island, we want to keep our beautiful country clean and our air breathable, and we want to save money on transportation. It is a comfortable vehicle with all the features like Air Conditioning, Bose Sound system, and Blue Tooth technology, and its quiet. The best thing is, that the electric car loves the stop-and-go traffic we dread, it actually recharges the battery when you coast or stop, so it’s perfect for Nassau’s busy streets, that’s like getting free miles!
6. What is your dream for the transport sector in the next 10 years?
A Bloomberg News report out last month predicts that the 2020s will be the decade of the electric car and nearly half the new vehicles in the world would have a plug by the year 2040. Our National Policy as expressed by the Ministry for the Environment and statements by our representatives around the world commit us to reducing our fossil fuel use by 30% by 2030, so we had better get stated! My hope then is that we as a Nation will lead the world by example, adopt the 100% electric vehicle as a sensible option for the environment and for our pocket, and move into solar charging. Next time you need a car, choose electric, and make my dream come true!
PS: I heard a comment to the effect that when a regular combustion engine car dreams, it dreams of being electric!
