At a press conference organised by the Premier’s Office of the Cayman Islands on Tuesday (18) Hon. McKeeva Bush announced he would authorise a 10 per cent import duty reduction for electric cars and motorcycles. This initial duty reduction means a 32 per cent levy charged on the import of an electric vehicle dropping it to 22 per cent.

Mr. Bush also said he would ask Cabinet members for a further reduction in import duties for the vehicles, although he immediately couldn’t promise anything more.

Although this would mean government would lose some revenue, he said, it would gain improvements to our environment.

Also present at the conference was Cayman Automotive CEO John Felder, who has been trying to bring electric vehicles into the country for seven years.

With the legalisation of certain electric cars for use on all three Islands’ roads of the regulations of the new Traffic Law taking effect on Friday (21) Felder will finally see his first road-ready electrics be registered for use.

Felder announced plans were in the works for a network of 14 electric car charging stations with the first four going in at Camana Bay, the Cayman Motor Museum in West Bay, Governors Square and at Kaibo in North Side.

“It’s important for all the Caribbean,” Felder said. “This will become the model; there is no one else in the Caribbean doing what you see here today.”

All four electric cars he had being shipped in were already sold he said.

On show at the Government Administration Building on Tuesday were a ‘Think City’ electric car sold to local businessman Joey Hew, a ‘Wheego Electric’ car sold to former Chamber of Commerce President Jim O’Neill and a ‘Zero’ electric motorcycle sold to Shaun Whittaker.