World-renowned for the abiding presence of classic 1950s and 1960s American cars, Cuba has moved ahead of many of its Caribbean neighbours with the introduction of ultra-modern Tesla electric vehicles.
But inasmuch as the classic and futuristic will be sharing the same road space, it will be some time before Teslas overtake the Chevys and other classic American brands.
The introduction of the Tesla is a big event in Cuba with the business initiative quite literally driven by American businessman John Felder’s Premier Automotive Export Ltd. of Columbia Maryland.
Having to navigate myriad US trade rules to stay in the correct lane of both Cuban and American regulations, Mr Felder has successfully passed the tests and landed the first Tesla in Cuba.
“It took me years to get the license, but once I got it, everybody now wants to jump in. That’s a good thing because competition is good for business,” he said in an interview with the Miami Herald after handing over the ‘electronic keys’ to the country’s first Tesla owners.
Admitting that the process of the paperwork can be challenging given the ongoing trade restrictions between the US and Cuba, Mr Felder added: “The customers have to pay for the vehicle duty before I can import or export it. I’ve got a customer in Germany waiting to find out just how much he’s got to pay. And he’s been waiting now for two weeks. Which means I can’t deliver the car.”
John Felder is well-versed in the automotive business having held a senior executive position with the American car giant Chrysler. He is also familiar with the Cuban transport market with a track record including selling electric scooters to Cubans and electric vehicles to foreign embassies based in Havana.
Aware of the challenges faced by Cuba with its electricity supply network, Mr Felder is confident that the inroads he has opened will pave the way for new driving experiences in Cuba.
His package to clients includes home chargers and on-island specialist maintenance service for the vehicles.
Tesla is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company which designs and manufactures electric vehicles (cars and trucks), stationary battery energy storage devices and related products and services.
The company was incorporated in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning as Tesla Motors, with the name being a tribute to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. Elon Musk, whose name is most associated with Tesla became the firm’s biggest shareholder via an investment in 2004, and CEO in 2008.
On August 26, John released his documentary “Driving Towards Change” that will be out next year highlighting his 14 year journey to get across the finish line. (www.DrivingTowardsChange.com )
We appreciate your feedback. You can comment here with your pseudonym or real name. You can leave a comment with or without entering an email address. All comments will be reviewed before they are published.
Comments (0)
We appreciate your feedback. You can comment here with your pseudonym or real name. You can leave a comment with or without entering an email address. All comments will be reviewed before they are published.