Though electric cars are gaining traction in Barbados, the public transport board’s electric buses are probably the most visible EVs criss-crossing the island. These buses, introduced in August of 2020, attract riders with air-conditioning, wi-fi, and wheelchair lifts, all of which the old diesel buses lack. There are now 49 electric buses, with about a dozen on the way, and the government has requested pricing for even more.

The move to electrify Barbados’ public fleet reflects a gradual but steady worldwide shift toward zero-emissions public transportation. That's important because road vehicles cause 70 percent of direct transport emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. An analysis by the United Nations Environmental Programme showed that a shift to zero and low emission battery electric, hybrid, and other low emission buses could save approximately 1.4 billion tons of CO2 and almost 30 million tons of particulate matter by 2050.

Zero-emission buses, which can have lower maintenance costs than other vehicles, are especially important in cities and countries that depend on well-functioning urban transport to power post-pandemic recovery. Barbados, a tourism-dependent economy, is firmly in this category: the economy contracted by an estimated 18 percent in 2020 and recovery has been slow, according to the World Bank.

To speed adoption, Barbados’ government is offering incentives for government agencies to make the switch to EVs that best fit their mission. A new, revolving loan facility will help public service vehicle operators get low interest financing so they can also make the transition to electric or hybrid vehicles. Separately, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has also announced that postal workers will be able to borrow up to Barbados $25,000 to acquire electric motorcycles.

Barbados’ policies and incentives to support its target of electrifying all of its buses and public fleet can generate $200 to 400 million in savings, according to research from the Inter-American Development Bank, which calls the shift to EV’s “inevitable.”

The new policies to facilitate purchases of electric cars and buses are “a big statement by the government,” Edghill says. “Barbados has a strong and clear energy transition policy. I think the government has really [backed its commitment to] renewable energy and the benefits to Barbados, and of electric transport as well.”

For Sonia Branch, a career bus driver who re-trained two years ago so she could shift over to electric buses, the energy transition is much more personal. “The world is going green, and I’m just glad to be a part of it,” she says.