Unipet has opened the first electric vehicle charging station in the country.
The station is located at Unipet’s Brentwood Service Station in Chaguanas.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Dr Afraz Ali, Unipet’s chairman said, “Electrification can be the restart button for our economic recovery.”
Unipet is the first private sector company to provide an electric charging station for public use and the first liquid fuel provider in the region to provide electric charging options to customers.
Last December, the University of the West Indies (UWI) launched its first electric charging station at the university’s St Augustine campus near the Faculty of Engineering Building. It is available to staff, students and the university’s visitors.
The decision made by Unipet has been labeled a “bold and inspirational move” in a country that the electric vehicle (EV) is the least bought -at least for now.
Ali said, “A global scan indicates that there has been a seismic shift in how energy is being provided and used. Our leaders are acutely aware that Trinidad and Tobago must repurpose our use of fossil fuel and identify other foreign exchange generating activities. Unipet is on the frontline of the shift towards using alternative energy as an opportunity re-set and re-imagine how our country consumes energy. We have always been guided by the notion that sound research is the precursor to investments and are therefore supportive of various research initiatives aimed at identifying the right fit for our industry. The research concluded that electrification can be the restart button for our economic recovery.”
That research led to Unipet including electric charging in its product offering.
“By this action Unipet is signalling our confidence in electrification as a fuel option of the future. We also see an electrification thrust as an opportunity for our country to engage and re-engage scholars across the globe towards optimizing our use of electricity. The implications of using electric charged vehicles are enormous but one of the important benefits is in improving the air quality which surrounds us,” Ali said.
Ali said the company has taken note of the Government’s intention to reduce overall carbon emission by 15% by 2030 which further encouraged Unipet to take the lead with respect to EVs.
COMMENTS