MoCCA Introduces First Electric Vehicles Into Government Fleet
The Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation (MoCCA) has become the first Government agency to purchase and use Electric Vehicles (EVs). The Ministry has bought two EVs to begin implementation of the National Energy Road Map (NERM) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets of having 10% of EV’s in the Government vehicle fleet by 2030. The Public Service Commission (PSC), the manager of the Government vehicle fleet, has approved this purchase as a pilot and will be monitoring the EVs performance against its current fuel-using vehicles to quantify the fuel budget savings that EVs can bring, among other considerations.
The Minister of Climate Change, Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, has stated that land transport is the second biggest consumer of fossil fuels in Vanuatu after the use of diesel for national electricity grids.
“While the transition of our electricity grids to renewable energy is well underway, however, the transition of land transport to electrical vehicles is only just starting. As the owner of the largest vehicle fleet in the country, the Government has to lead the transition of land transport in Vanuatu. With this purchase, the Ministry of Climate Change, appropriately, is leading the way.
“It is my hope that in the next few years, the entire Government fleet can become electrified, and I encourage private sector companies and the general public to do the same. The less fossil fuels Vanuatu uses, the less money we send overseas and the more money we have to spend in the domestic economy, and the less vulnerable and dependent we are to global shocks. And of course, with electric vehicles we will have a much cleaner and quieter environment,” the Minister of Climate Change, Ralph Regenvanu, said.
The Ministry is replacing the two Kia Sportage vehicles currently servicing the Corporate Services Unit (CSU) and the Cabinet with two BYD Yuan Pro Mini-SUV electric vehicles.
The two EV’s have been purchased at a cost of VT8,000,000 (exclusive of VAT), under an in terest-free loan arrangement with the National Green Energy Fund (NGEF), with full repayment expected by December 2027. The two mini-SUVs with five doors and five seats were sold by local company, Nambawan EV, an importer of EVs with the ability to service and provide replacement parts.
The National Energy Road Map identifies the National Green Energy Fund (NGEF) as a key policy tool and financing mechanism to support the implementation of actions in the energy sector. As well as financing this EV purchase for the MoCCA, the NGEF is currently negotiating grant funding to pilot EVs with 10 taxi beneficiaries in Port Vila. This initiative will require beneficiaries to provide 10% equity, receive a 50% grant subsidy, and obtain 40% of the vehicle cost through a soft loan from NGEF at rates below commercial bank rates. The Government, in its continued efforts to increase renewable energy generation in the electricity subsector, favours the principle of promoting the implementation of EVs in Port Vila and other urban centres in Vanuatu.
Although EVs on the Port Vila grid will still be powered by diesel-based electricity generation, the increased use of EV’s will maximize the use of the unutilized generation gap from the current peak load being provided by Unelco. After the commissioning of the new tariff-supported 3 MegaWatt (MW) solar plant in 2025, and the New Zealand-supported 5 MW solar plant in 2026, the Port Vila grid will be almost 50% powered by renewable energy. UNELCO has indicated their interest in establishing fast EV charging stations throughout the Port Vila concession.
About the Electric mini SUVs
The two cars acquired by the Ministry of Climate Change are produced by the Chinese company BYD (Build Your Dreams) and are mini SUVs - each car has 5 doors and 5 seats.
The cars have a range of 401km each on a full charge and are one of the best value and most reliable electric SUVs available.
These are some of the qualities of the BYD electric vehicle:
- Using standard AC (Unelco charging) you can charge the cars at 6kw or 50km per hour.
- 100km of range costs approximately 1,000vt (equivalent benzine SUV would cost 1,300vt).
- Using high speed DC charging it would take 30 minutes to charge 240km.
- The cars use BYD's world leading "Blade Battery" system and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) with a capacity of 47kwh.
The cars have "Bidirectional" charging - meaning they have a standard 240v power plug and can be used to power a small house in case of a power cut.
They could also be used for power tools, fridges, TVs, pumps in remote areas. The output is 2.2kw - roughly the power of an electric kettle or enough for a small home of lights, small fridge, TV and phone charges.
The importing company of the BYDs, Nambawan EV, is newly established but has a long history in Vanuatu. They have the ability to service and provide replacement parts for BYD vehicles that they import.
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