The problem is that the hybrrid cars are more expensive than the traditional.
There are so many things wrong with local transport, from complete lack of policing re drunk drivers, reckless driving, which makes most people afraid to get a fuel efficient small car, to the poor public transport service i.e. not running on specific schedules, poor shelter at bus stands, no provision for cyclists and lack of respect for cyclists on roads.

Barbadians are in love with Vrtoom Vroom, do not blame Simpson.
Reality is that the Suzuki is probably the most fuel efficient car imported, because of weight and small engines, but many just are afraid to buy them because of the speeding trucks and reckless driving, hence dont want to be in an accident.

Then, you have to ask why the government attacked the used car importers using a penalising duty. Very unfair.

There is so much wrong, that to blame Simpson is ridiculous.

Barbados is a little island, we do not need high speed limits, we need properly policed roads and efficient ticketing procedures.

Barbados car industry has generally become rip off land, I actually think Simpson has tried to import cars that can be run cheaply.

Look at how many small business men used the Suzuki vans to great effect and still use them after 20 years.

oh forgot to mention ,to get part number from mcripoffnerny. they gave me the wrong numbers. and there was a discussion on if they install the part which was not in stock and could not get it for 2 to 3 weeks if i brought it in myself.
hell you could fly to Miami and get the part for less than they would charge for some parts.but i used http://www.getezone.com/EzoneContent.aspx?ContentId=6 and had it in a week.
so you see cruso it is not what it seems in bimshire.

they do have electric vans and trucks also by the way.

I know some may think it a silly idea, but just to get the ball rolling, could Government not consider allowing Courtesy (and any other dealer) to import, say 100 Leaf vehicles DUTY FREE to be used as hire (rental) cars. It would send a powerful message to our prospective visitors that we are at least trying, keep down the ridiculously expensive car rental rates and at least go a little way to reducing imported fuel costs.

We keep forgetting this is ‘price gouging’ Barbados….electricity as well. Has any one really done the maths, to convert what is the cost in electricity dollars to run an electric car? At present we paying $ 1.00 per mile for gasoline…..how many kilowatt hrs cost for 1 equiv. mile will it take to charge up Runnin Bison ? I wont be surprised if rip off gasoline is cheaper…..”rest our solds”

@ Sittin Bull | August 24, 2012 at 9:59 AM |

It would be a justified cost to pay for a cleaner environment and less destructive economic activities.
Can’t some of the electricity for these vehicles be provided by more and improved solar and wind generating technologies?
We can’t just sit down like a lazy old bull (lol!) and do nothing to restructure our economy and green our environment both physical and social.
You need to make peace offering by lighting your smoking pipe from the rays of the Sun instead of a kerosene lamp.

@tedd

Why do we confine our thinking to the box?

If we bring in 200 duty free cars as Adrian suggested it presents opportunity for an entrepreneur to build a ‘gas’ station powered by solar/wind. The initiative should not be seen as just bringing in electric or hybrid car, the ancillary support would have to be factored.

Hybrids and Electronic cars are expensive because of duties and the lack of desire by the establishment and consumer to shift behaviours.

@ Miller
We can’t just sit down like a lazy old bull (lol!) and do nothing to restructure our economy and green our environment both physical and social.
************************
Agree by all means. I remember the first oil crisis and more, and every time since then, there was this call for an alternative sustainable energy development. I was all for it then and now (though I sit now more often). Of greater importance however, is the prevailing financial environment in which to attempt this laudable thrust, but can we really afford it?…. Do give consideration to the fact that we have been so much closer to launching off into solar panels for electricity, now for so long, yet the powers that be, subtle attempts at millstone-ing.
My recommendation, (if I may be so presumptuous) is to develope the solar -electricity thrust first and later power such cars’ batteries with solar generated electricity….greener than green, lol.

Recommended retail price of a Toyota Rav4 (recommended by Toyota itself): US$ 22,650 for a basic model.

See http://www.toyota.com/rav4/trims-prices.html

Price of a basic Rav4 at Nassco in Barbados: US$ 47,500.

See http://www.nassco-barbados.com/vehicleindex.cfm?pagetype=overview&carModelID=3&category=10

Price difference: more than 100 percent.

Other words: if an American man in New York buys a Rav4 and a Bajan woman in Oistins buys a Rav4, the Bajan will pay MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH as the American.

Question: what does the Barbados government do with the 100 percent import duty?

I can see the need for some restraints on the number of cars on Bajan roads, relative to the number on the vastly more extensive and infinitely superior roads of New York State. Where, though, does the money actually go in Barbados?

Suggestion that almost nobody in Bim will ever take seriously: the Bermuda approach. Maximum one car per household, no exceptions. Get a scooter. And enforce the law.

the oil companies are the ones buying the patents to longer and stronger batteries, and all inventions that reduce our dependency on oil are quickly bought up by the oil companies ,
could be some times by force.before we get to see them..or hear about them.
come on we can land on mars but not find a alternative to oil?really?
god darn it i tried.!
harry tried.!
i getting tired of this trying.it weakens my very soul.
to see these injustices..
not just things like this but to watch barbados crumble.
when the answers[technology] are already here but not used.——
we need a man like Ron Paul as prime minister who speaks the truth to the people.do we have one like him?sadly no not even close.
and to those that say about the cost of recharging against gas please look up
what is it you see shining.and what do you feel blowing especially on the east coast of barbados.
as a matter of fact do we consumers get to see the profit the electric company is making by using diesel turbines.
do we get to see why the electricity is so expensive??????????
i wish you all well.

As for Harry, bit jealous that the lovely lass found someone nicer than you, is it? No need to bring everything back to black and white.

…….murder, I was waiting for this.

http://www.bbeled.com/images/solar-wind-turbine-led-street-light.jpg

@ Crusoe | August 24, 2012 at 4:13 PM |

So Crusoe you telling us that the government is lying to us about the ‘greening’ of the economy and really pulling green cotton wool over our eyes? Fuels used in vehicles represent significant components of our imported oil bill.
What will happen when the foreign reserves get real low? Import the food and medicines or the fossil based fuels for vehicles?
I want to side with harry on this one. Despite his racist side he still has the future of Bim at heart. His proposals are realistic and relevant to our local conditions and, although initially expensive, represent the future of transport, at least domestic and private aspects of it.
I think we should listen to him and take his proposals seriously.

You might not be aware but don’t believe what the governor or the Minister of Finance is saying about the healthy state of our foreign reserves. The figure quoted is in Barbados dollars with many of the elements that make up that sum are not of an immediate “liquidity” nature probably with some SDRs (special drawing rights) in the mix.

Commonsense would tell you that if more water is flowing out of a tank from both its exit or bung hole and through widespread leaks than what is being poured in there will come a time rather soon when the tank becomes embarrassingly low of water.
What do we do then? Plug the holes only or plug the leaky holes and find more water to pout into the tank?

Believing these people is like believing Darcy Boyce telling the accountants of Barbados (of all people!) that the international business sector in Barbados is doing fine with the best ever favourable results ever recorded. Why should we doubt him? After all he could have been one of the architects of the DLP 2008 manifesto.

http://youtu.be/B_ayfoc4DIk

there ya go barbados government.save millions on street lighting.
no charge.

@ harry:

Tell them, especially islandgal, that you are a changed man who has seen the Light, thanks to the guidance and some verbal slaps across your erstwhile racist brain (can a leopard change his spots?). He is so remorseful that he even plans to marry a negress as his bed wench.

Although we would all like to crucify harry the messenger what he is saying is very important. We just can’t go on living like this hooked on fossil fuels when other countries with less sun and wind than us are going full speed ahead. What are we waiting for? For Trinidad to sell us solar panels and wind turbines?

HARRY ……I am waiting!

i could say sorry for racist comments .so here i go,
sorry for the racist comments.
but island girl have you grown up as a white in barbados?
not a rich one either.?
i been called names,tried to be beaten , as a youngster by blacks.
you see you have not walked a mile in my shoes.
and cruso i haven’t lost any body .it is the mentality of bajan men that think white want them[some do but only a tiny percentage].,think with their penis instead of their brain.
.
since the school system has changed to mixed boys and girls my white niece has been raped by 3 black boys.but they threaten her not to tell or they will bring more boys.
these things go on every day here and the white school girls are too ashamed or scared to tell.
so that could ad to my way of thinking.
i suspect the ones who are not aware of the advances in technology are the ones saying it could not work.or either work for the car or electric companies.
or have no vision.
i leffing it there.
kisses xoxo

i gonna side wid crusoe on this one. the hidden charges are in repair and mainteance . not cheap. if allthat harry say is so practical how come most american still use ole fashion powwr driven cars fueled by gas. any thing that has to be produced using the oil as its source is going to cost and that is everything.

harry | August 24, 2012 at 7:35 AM |
cruso. do you work for Simpson?

i believe he had his daughter marry a black man mainly to make to get more business.hey his daughter is married to a negro so he must be cool ..
more money.ridiculous prices for crap vehicles. Find out the price to replace parts or get service.never mind he is probably on his private jet now flying to some where where there less Negroes.lol
you people fall for it every time.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Fer Christ sake,man stop playing your well worn race card.

millertheanunnaki | August 24, 2012 at 2:13 PM |
But how would you go about ‘penalizing’ those most unsuited SUVs from burning up our fast disappearing forex? Should we increase import duties to say 300% of CIF? Should we create a separate category in our road tax regime that would see these vehicles attracting an
………………………………………………………………………………
On the other hand SUV ‘s could last three or four times longer that your average car. There are Land Rovers and other SUV’s some 15/20/30 years old and are still going strong, whereas other standard car owners might have had 3/ 4 / 6 renewals respectively, during those same periods. So who is really saving forex?

Crusoe | August 24, 2012 at 4:13 PM |

The new technology will be difficult to maintain in Barbados where the Transport Board cannot even keep diesel vehicles running.

……………………………………………………………………………………….
And just today we heard that the reason why BWA is unable to service its customers with emergency water supply during its many recent water outages, is due to the fact that only 3 of its 18 water tankers are serviceable.
All across the island there are complaints of non pickups by the Sanitation Service Authority. Most likely ,yet again, only a small percentage of their units are operating.
We have a real struggle with ordinary run-of-the-mill old technology. We cannot maintain bugger all in Barbados, and are asking for new technology. Arte-et-Marte.

Colonel Buggy,

Not sure how you can draw that conclusion.
To qualify for purchase of a duty free vehicle, a taxi driver has to hold a licence first for five years.

David | August 24, 2012 at 4:46 PM |

@Crusoe

The current state provides the opportunity for an innovative little country to make a solution of this because our survival depends on it.. We have to stop being followers and see how we can influence end states.
—————————

Easy to say, but there are two issues.

1) We have proven that we cannot and choose not to service current technology and implement simple processes for improvement
2) Mass electric motors are simply another way to utilise energy.

The bog issue for a small economy, is how best to implement exisitng and new technology as sustaibale over the short, medium and long term, at most efficient and least cost.

Problem is, mass electric technology can be implemented as a supplement to fossil fuel, mainly in infrastructre (solar house energy etc), but where the article started i.e. motor vehicles, is a long way off and currently not appropriate for Barbados and will not be for some time.