Thimphu, 6 March 2023: The 16 EVs are among the total 19 supported through a USD 1.1 million project supported by the Government of Japan and UNDP. The remaining three cars will be delivered soon.
The project titled, "Leveraging Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to achieve net-zero emissions and climate-resilient development, in response to the climate emergency," is a partnership between the Government of Japan and UNDP''s next phase of the Climate Promise: From Pledge to Impact. It aims to help countries turn their NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) carbon reduction targets into concrete results.
The Cabinet Secretary, on behalf of the people and Royal Government of Bhutan, conveyed appreciation to the Government and people of Japan and UNDP for the support, notwithstanding the difficult times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. "The support will go a long way in building public confidence in EV and reducing Bhutan''s dependence on fossil fuel," said the Cabinet Secretary.
Eight quick charging stations will be installed at strategic locations through the project. It will also build the capacity of EV technicians and work towards creating an enabling policy for EV promotion and increase awareness on EVs to boost consumer confidence. These will help improve the EV ecosystem in the country.
The project builds on the "Bhutan Sustainable Low-Emission Urban Transport System" project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and supported by UNDP, which helped 291 taxi drivers switch to EVs. It will help Bhutan achieve its goal to always remain carbon neutral.
UNDP Bhutan Resident Representative commended Bhutan''s bold step towards greening its transport sector. He thanked the Governments of Bhutan and Japan for the partnership.
"EVs are an important solution for countries to meet their emission reduction targets. Our EV partnerships seek to demonstrate the viability of a low-emission transport system and pave the way for wider and faster adoption of EVs to reduce dependence on fossil fuel. It''s imperative that we keep the EV momentum alive. UNDP remains committed to provide the support needed and at speed and scale," said Mr. Younus.
Almost 99.9% of motor vehicles in Bhutan are powered by diesel or petrol. Vehicle emissions accounted for 60% of the total emissions from the energy sector, amounting to approximately 398,829 metric tons of CO2e emissions in 2019.
Most significant rise in GHG emissions is expected from light vehicles (3.8 times), followed by medium vehicles (3.6 times) and heavy vehicles (3 times). Currently, light vehicles (including taxis) and two-wheelers combined account for more than 81 percent of the total registered vehicles, while heavy and medium public transport buses together constitute less than a percent.
UNDP Cambodia would like to invite local NGOs and CBOs working on environmental conservation, climate change adaptation and poverty reduction in (1) all villages
While Kuensel''s regular coverage of the government''s EV project (March 26, March 19, March 14) is appreciated, the vast majority of EV owners in Bhutan, which are privately owned and not taxis, are almost never mentioned. As having catered to this silent majority since 2014, I would like to share information for a more balanced view of EVs in Bhutan.
We were one of the first companies to introduce EVs for the mass consumer market in Bhutan in 2014 with the Nissan Leaf and have gone through ups and downs of the EV experience in Bhutan so far. Our work on EVs started in 2010 when we assembled an EV in Bhutan and applied for a patent. Although almost all the components were imported, we designed and fabricated the critical component connecting the electric motor to the gearbox in Bhutan. We also used open source firmware and purchased other software for the vehicle control system and the battery management system.
The lesson learnt from this experience was that the firmware for managing the batteries and the overall operation of the vehicle plays a critical role in the development and performance of the EVs. The EV is basically a computer with wheels.
With His Majesty''s the King''s visionary drive to lead us towards a technology driven society in the information age, many tech companies and individuals in the country are already capable of writing the complex codes for the EVs. Without having to invest in car factories, this is one area where Bhutan can take leadership in the EV manufacturing ecosystem.
On the EV ownership experience, most EV owners are deeply satisfied with their cars. Some have owned their Leafs for the last 9 years and have barely had to visit the workshop for service. So apart from the obvious fuel savings, the almost nonexistent regular maintenance expenses is a big bonus.
Also concerns initially expressed 9 years ago about the life of the EV battery and the replacement costs have been effectively done away with since the EV owners are still driving their vehicles today. Some Leafs in Bhutan have driven more than 300,000 kilometres and are still going strong.
Our customers have been sharing these experiences by word of mouth with friends and family and the negative perception of EVs have slowly changed to positive. Buyers of our EVs are more discerning and have done additional online research in addition to talking with other Leaf owners before a purchase. Our main customer base continues to be this discerning group. This is a hopeful sign for EVs since about 90 percent of overall passenger car ownership in Bhutan is private ownership and only 8 percent are taxis.
Although range anxiety was a major concern in the beginning, that too soon waned as EV owners over the years found that almost 98 percent of their driving is done within Thimphu. Like most car owners, only once in a while we may take a long distance trip.
Already with the government EV project''s much appreciated efforts with installation of both DC fast chargers and AC Chargers, EV driving within western Bhutan is easily possible today. By the end of the year the project will have installed the DC and AC chargers in all the 20 dzongkhags as reported by Kuensel.
Also, the batteries in the EVs have more than doubled in capacity since 2014. Many EVs are now capable of driving more than 300 km on a charge. The manufacturer claims of higher range have to be tempered by our mountainous terrain which was another learning experience.
Battery quality has also improved over the years with the latest state of the art technology and materials being used. This however still adds to the cost of the EVs and keeps EV prices high in Bhutan even with the tax free incentives for all and additional subsidy for the EV taxi owners.
The EVs project success with taxi owners have encouraged truck owners and drivers to consider switching to electric and the Government''s next focus could be on electric trucks to replace diesel trucks. Electric buses are another low hanging fruit.
Electric truck and bus manufacturers have expressed interest to provide Bhutan with cost reductions on their truck and bus exports to Bhutan in exchange for carbon credit. This is yet another avenue for Government to support electric vehicle uptake in Bhutan. As diesel prices continue to rise with a concurrent rise in the price of essential goods, shifting to electric cargo transport could reduce overall inflation for essential goods which impacts the poorest the hardest. The nation''s carbon footprint could also be significantly reduced.
The government action of negotiating with manufacturers will not cost the Government anything. We already have embassies and consulates in the various manufacturing countries such as India, the EU, and the US. Some manufacturers even may provide free of cost all the electric buses we need for public transport in exchange for carbon credit. Something well worth exploring.
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