8 months ago
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With plans to grow to 200 or more electric vehicle charging ports, Evergo Jamaica is aiming to introduce a new charging network to the market, branded as Evergo Connect, but there are regulatory issues that need to be clarified regarding the routing of the energy.
The charging network will mirror what obtains in the Dominican Republic. The company wants to deliver a charging hub powered 100 per cent by renewable energy for electric vehicles by 2026.
That latter element of the plan brings a level of uncertainty, since power distribution is exclusively the playing field of Jamaica Public Service Company, JPS, which means that any supply of electricity has to be done via the utility.
Evergo DR has already launched the portals in Punta Cana. Evergo Connect DR has 29 fully equipped charging spots, “each outfitted with ultra-fast chargers capable of replenishing an electric vehicle’s battery in under 20 minutes, depending on its capacity. These chargers cater not only to passenger vehicles, but also to cargo transportation needs,” said Evergo Jamaica.
The Evergo Connect DR stations provide complimentary Wi-Fi access, relaxation areas, co-working spaces, dining options, a children’s play area, EV rental services, and a showroom showcasing the latest innovations in the electric vehicle sector.
Evergo Jamaica CEO Wayne McKenzie says the DR hub costs upwards of US$10 million. The same is expected to be expensed in Jamaica and other countries in the region that get the hub service, McKenzie said.
Evergo Jamaica currently has 35 EV charging points in 10 parishes, including Hollywell, a community sited at high elevation in the hills of Andrew. By August, Evergo should be in all 14 parishes, McKenzie said.
The charging points in operation feature 61 active chargers. By year end, Evergo wants to install another 53 chargers, taking the number to 114, and more over the medium term.
“Our horizon in Jamaica is a total of 250 chargers, but that number might be reduced to 200 with the introduction of 100kW and 150kW chargers,” he said.
Typical chargers in Jamaica go up to 50kW, which is slow by European metropolitan standards. Introducing the 100kW and 150kW chargers will mean a faster charge in a shorter time for vehicles that use them, he noted.
The EV charging points in Jamaica generally rely on electricity supplied through the national grid operated by Jamaica Public Service Company. JPS itself is also in the EV charging market.
The Evergo Connect Hub in Jamaica will mark a shift towards renewables as an energy source for the charging of vehicles.
But given the present regulatory arrangement, where only the JPS can sell power to end users, there could be a sticking point.
McKenzie was uncertain as to whether new accommodations would be made to facilitate the renewable power business model.
“There are currently no special arrangements in place to address the issue we currently experience in Jamaica. If the business model does not make sense, we may have to shelve this project, which is another ambition of our Chairman Rolando Gonzalez Bunster to have a hub which is 100 per cent renewable,” McKenzie said.
Evergo is a regional business owned by InterEnergy Group, with a presence in Aruba, Jamaica, Spain, United States, México, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Uruguay, it says on its website.
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