EV charging ports provide seamless process for road users 

By Pooja Rambaran

A newly-installed electric vehicle (EV) charging station at Amazonia Mall at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) adds to the lineup of ports being made available to Guyanese road users as the Government continues to advance the country’s transition to environmentally-friendly modes of transportation.
Last year, a US$141,199 contract was awarded to Jamaica-based Flash Motors Company Limited to procure and install six public EV charging stations at strategic locations. In addition to the one at Amazonia Mall, charging stations have thus far been erected at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri; the Giftland Mall, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara (ECD);

and outside of the GEA office on Quamina Street, Georgetown.
The other two will be installed on Monday and Tuesday at Little Rock Suites in New Amsterdam, Berbice, and Big Kiss Parking Lot in Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).
During an interview with Guyana Times on Saturday, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahender Sharma, noted that these charging ports are not yet open to the public, as they are still in the testing phase.
“The first step is to mount the unit, put it in to make sure that it’s charging. The next step is fixing the backend software to allow a user to come in, scan a QR code, get an app, connect their credit card information, and then allow them to be able to access it,” Sharma said.
He added that in the coming weeks, Flash Motors’ CEO Xavier Gordon will be working with stakeholders to put together the software and the app to make it a seamless process for electric vehicle owners.
Sharma also stated that, so far, the team has encountered some challenges with communication, internet connection, and the powerline; but he maintained that these are all resolvable.
Unlike combustion vehicles, electric vehicles are propelled by electromagnetism and an electric motor. They are charged using electricity, eliminating oil changes and other features that are distinct from gasoline or diesel vehicles.
These six EV charging stations – once open to the public – aim to allow for an 80 per cent charge in about 45 minutes in what Gordon described as a process that will be “very simple.”
“We’ll have an app that’s available, users will register once with that app, and once you’ve done that, you’re just basically going to use that app to interact with the charging station. You will pull up the app, pull up the location and say this is the charger that I want to use. You’ll tap it, unplug it, plug it in, and you’ll be good to go,” Gordon told this publication.
“We actually have in development software that would allow certain vehicles to be able to skip that entire process, where [they] just plug it in and go,” Gordon said, adding that this software has proven successful in North America, Europe and China.
Though these stations will not be able to charge all EV models, connectors were chosen to cater to the more popular models seen in Guyana.
As at February, there were reportedly 168 electric vehicles in the country, two of which are owned by the GEA. That number, Sharma said, is likely to increase in the coming months as the Government recently reduced taxes on all EVs entering the country.
“I think the completion of these public EV charging stations will have a profound impact on that, as it is meant to catalyze that interest. And those persons who are hesitant about investing in an EV will have an assurance that if they run out of charge on the road, they can now connect and access [a station],” Sharma said.