Not only do electric vehicles revolutionize personal and professional transportation by reducing their carbon footprints, they can also support the mission and values of humanitarian organizations.
A budding partnership between BYD Auto, the largest manufacturer and leading global brand of electric vehicles in the world, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world’s largest humanitarian organization, could lead to the use of electric vehicles in supporting relief operations around the world—starting here in The Bahamas.
Easy Cars Sales, the sole dealer in The Bahamas for BYD electric vehicles, has facilitated this partnership by leasing three BYD Yuan SUV cars to assist in relief and restoration efforts coordinated in New Providence by the IFRC after Hurricane Dorian, marking the first time ever anywhere in the world that this organization has used electric cars in their disaster response efforts.
James Bellamy, Deputy Operations Manager for Hurricane Dorian with the IFRC, says this opportunity to test out the electric vehicles in a controlled environment could lead to a shift in the future global operations of the IFRC as the humanitarian organization works towards greener practices worldwide.
“The organization has a 2030 goal to get operations more carbon neutral,” he says. “It’s not going to be easy because a lot of the places we work don’t have the infrastructure, but we saw here an opportunity to take our first step using these electric vehicles and their user-friendly technology.”
Pia Farmer, a Partner in Easy Car Sales. points out that such a milestone is to be expected as electric vehicles are natural partners to the reusable energy systems that are being put in place around the globe as the world commits to cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable energy options.
“Part of reconstruction efforts in Grand Bahama and Abaco are several plans for solar solutions in homes and businesses to restore power after Hurricane Dorian, and electric cars are one-hundred percent solar ready,” she says.
“Electric vehicles provide a more sustainable solution as we reimagine the future of energy in our country.”
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