Electric Transportation on Bermuda

Ah, the tony island nation of Bermuda. Legendary coral sands. Gently wafting ocean breezes. A climate that defines the word “temperate.” And emissions from gasoline and diesel cars and trucks that can choke a horse.

Enter Island Green, a Bermuda-based corporation of which I’m a partner, with a specific mission: import high-quality electric vehicles that, over a period of just a few years, will replace every one of the 20,000-or-so internal combustion engines on the island.

Does that mission statement sound ambitious? I’m not sure. Think of all the issues with EVs — and then realize that they evaporate on islands like Bermuda:

Range: The entire island (actually, a set of islands connected with bridges) is only 21 miles from end to end.

Cost: Gasoline is $7 a gallon. EV owners enjoy more than twice the savings on fuel than we do here in the US.

Roominess: The roads are terrifyingly narrow. If you haven’t been there, I’ll ask you to trust me on this.  Small is good.

The picture taken here was snapped seconds after a presentation I gave to Bermuda’s Ministry of Energy, headed by Michael Scott, flanked by Island Green partner and MP, Dennis Lister.  We’ll see how this develops.  I’ll keep you posted.