Reducing Pollution with Electric Vehicles - Vanessa Williams
• No pollution, Cleaner Air: as an environmentally conscious person the “Zero Emission” tagline made this car the one for me. • Being Different: also I like the idea of simply being different so hence my choice. Was getting it registered with Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) straight forward The Battery Charge Vehicle is step away from fossil fuels and allows for cleaner air as there are no carbon emissions.
The registration process was very straight forward. The GRA followed the normal procedures – inspecting the engine and recording its chassis number as per requirements for issuing the vehicle certificate of registration. There was nothing intrinsically special about the overall process.
The Nissan LEAF, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV), introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, and now in its second generation. Its range on a full charge is 243 km (151 miles).
What do you like about the features
While battery charge vehicles are becoming fairly common in other sister Caricom states particularly Barbados, its usage in Guyana is still novel. Our team reached out to the owner of a BEV and here are the candid responses we got from Ms. Williams on some questions posed. My name is Vanessa Williams and I am the proud owner of a Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle. I purchased this vehicle in October, 2019 from a car dealership in Japan, Fiju Automotives. What drove you to buy a green vehicle Several factors led to me to purchasing my green car- the Nissan Leaf. • Aesthetics: the vehicle in my opinion is a very sleek small car, but don’t be fooled by its size. Its spacious interior makes this car very functional. Additionally, its modern features such as heated seat controls, touchscreen navigation, surround sound speakers and Bluetooth system, reverse mirror and intricate sensor system to detect if there is an object too close to the vehicle while it is in motion helps to make driving safe and comfortable. • No more visits to Gas stations: the thought of never having to stop at the gas station was a definite pull factor. • Reduction in expenses: considering the massive reduction in petroleum expenditure that I anticipated. 34
GREEN GUYANA - ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
• Small but spacious making it easy to maneuver • Its modern design, is pleasing to the eyes but still has all the primary functionalities a vehicle needs to have • Acceleration pick -up time is another good feature, it allows the driver to go from 0-80 km in an instant How does it contribute to reducing carbon emissions? The Nissan Leaf contributes to reducing carbon emission because it does not have a combustion engine like normal conventional petrol or diesel vehicles. This means the car emits no greenhouse gases contributing to a reduction in atmospheric air pollution which is especially good in urban areas. Because of the nature of the engine it is also very silent when in motion, hence there is also a reduction in noise pollution. State advantages if any • The vehicle has less moving parts which means it requires little to no maintenance • It saves you time, not having to visit the gas station • It saves on gas expenditure • Isn’t too expensive electricity wise State challenges if any • Because of the range the vehicle can do on a charge, it calls for advanced journey planning. • Ease of access to charging points , the vehicle charges optimally on a 220v Voltage distribution system, most houses in Guyana operate on a 110v voltage distribution system so having a vehicle like this causes for structural changes to be made to accommodate the car, if you are renting this can be a challenge. • Finding the right adopter to connect the car charger to the domestic outlet is also a challenge since inferior chargers often can’t withstand the load.
