Durrant Pate/Contributor

Tropical Battery, through its Tropical Mobility subsidiary, has struck a deal with Santo Domingo-based, Zero Emisión RD to provide service on Tesla electric vehicles (EVs) in Jamaica. 

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed recently by both parties. Under the terms of the MoU, Zero Emisión RD and Tropical Mobility will cooperate on training and technical support to facilitate the delivery of world-class service to battery electric vehicle drivers in Jamaica, including Tesla owners, who have not had a local service option until now.

Tropical Mobility, an electric vehicle dealer majority owned by Tropical Battery, will also be working with the Dominican Republic company to promote the adoption of specific EV brands and electric mobility solutions in Jamaica and its home country. 

They will also partner to advance the development of sustainable battery lifecycle solutions in both countries and across the wider Caribbean region.

Zero Emisión RD has been the leading EV dealer and service centre in the Dominican Republic since the company was founded in 2016, and a major proponent of the shift to sustainable transport solutions in the neighbouring Caribbean country. The company has sold nearly 700 EVs over the past eight years, including more than 320 Tesla models.

Company principals hail the partnership

Commenting on the deal, Charles Sanchez, founder and president of Zero Emisión RD, said, “We are pleased to support the development of the electric mobility ecosystem in Jamaica, as we have been doing in the Dominican Republic and other countries of the region over the past eight years.”

Sanchez, who is also the founder and president of the Dominican Electric Mobility Association (ASOMOEDO) added, “This partnership with Tropical Mobility is just the type of cooperation we need between Caribbean countries to build the high value, knowledge-based service industries that will drive the transition to sustainable, low carbon economic growth.” 

For his part, Tropical Mobility CEO Oliver Hill, who also serves as president of the Jamaica Electric Vehicle Association (JEVA), commented, “As the regional leader in the adoption of electric vehicles with more than 1,000 EVs on the road, the Dominican Republic represents a shining example of what we can achieve in Jamaica. We have a lot to learn from the Dominican experience, and with the support of Zero Emisión RD, we are confident we can achieve similar uptake in the months and years ahead.’