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Electric Car Transformation - Going Global
 The electric car revolution is now going global. Not just in ownership either, but in production and manufacturing as well. Mexico, the Caribbean, and several countries in South America are all working with electric vehicle manufacturers to get more electric cars on their roads and in many cases in their factories to help pump up their weakened economies.
The Japanese auto manufacturer Nissan has partnered with the Mexico City government to launch a pilot program with their electric vehicle the Nissan Leaf. The pilot program will put 500 Nissan Leaf's on the road to be used as private taxis during the second half of this year. Taking the place of a few of the the ever-present Type 1 VW Beetle cab use for countless years. Charging stations are also being installed in cafes, shopping malls, and public squares. Factory production of electric vehicle's in Mexico could be a real boost to their economy and make them globally competitive if they could make one that is inexpensive to own.
However, there are no plans to partner with any electric vehicle manufacturers in Mexico at this time. Brazil is the first country in South America to produce an electric vehicle. The Brazilian subsidiary of Fiat has produced an all electric version of the Fiat Palio Weekend. The Fiat Palio Weekend has a full charge time of about eight hours, and can travel around 75 miles on a single charge. The acceleration speed of the Palio Weekend is considerably less than other electric vehicles, but its production in Brazil and the introduction of charging stations around the country are a sign that the technology is expected to stick around and expand.
In the Caribbean both Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic have made agreements with electric vehicle manufacturers to develop electric vehicle infrastructure, and get more electric vehicles on the road. Puerto Rico has partnered with the Renault-Nissan alliance to develop a pilot program for the introduction of the Nissan Leaf. The Nissan Leaf runs solely on Li-ion batteries and produces no carbon emissions at all with a driving range of 100 miles. In the Dominican Republic, government and industry leaders are in the process of developing a partnership with the Electric Moto corporation. The agreement is expected to include the manufacture of electric vehicles in the Dominican Republic. The Electric Moto company is developing three and four wheel electric vehicles, as well as electric watercraft. There is no doubt that the electric vehicle is here to stay, and for countries looking to compete in a global market production of these vehicles is paramount. There are very exciting things on the horizon for electric vehicles and no country wants to be left behind in the dust. |
Bolivia has become a South American country to watch as they are sitting on about 50% of the world's lithium supply. Lithium is the lightest known metal, and it is used to manufacture lithium batteries that one day will be used in all electric vehicles. Bolivian leaders have hinted around at wanting foreign investors to come in and set up factory production of lithium batteries near the lithium mines, but there are no finalized plans in place for this at this time.
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