MONTEGO BAY, St James — The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) and Evergo Jamaica, which operates a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, are planning to expand these facilities across the island as demand grows.

“We’re just building out the network and as the customer base grows, so will we,” said Evergo marketing representative Rushane Pryce.

He was speaking with the Jamaica Observer, last weekend, during ATL Automotive’s official opening of the BYD showroom in Montego Bay.

“We see the adoption of EVs picking up more and more so we are just expanding our ecosystem,” Pryce said.

“Montego Bay is an exciting city and we are expanding our network here,” added Pryce.

He explained that Evergo currently has 70 charging stations islandwide, with 10 of those locations in St James.

While he did not provide a specific timeline for when more charging stations will be added, Pryce said the company is looking at putting a charging unit in BYD’s showroom in Montego Bay.

“We are planning to put a level three 150-kilowatt charger at the location,” said Pryce.

“ATL has always been a part of us, as much as we are a part of them. We have chargers installed at the Oxford Road location and we have a charger installed at the AutoBahn location; so a charger coming is definitely something that we are looking forward to,” he said.

The Evergo executive explained that the company is actively looking at locations because it wants individuals to have access whenever a charging station is needed.

“One of the greatest fear is range anxiety, which is why Evergo decided to expand the ecosystem in such a way where you don’t have to worry about charging,” Pryce declared.

“We try to place the chargers strategically in way where you are always close to one. With the level three chargers being the fastest one, we try to put those chargers in locations where you always have something to do while you’re charging,” he added.

For JPS President and CEO Hugh Grant, the expansion of the company’s network would involve strategic partnerships to ensure EV operators get the best value.

“Across the entire grid we are looking to partner and to add more charging networks,” Grant told the Observer.

“As technology continues to improve, it will be that more cost effective to not only install charging stations but also the cost of charging [will decrease]. Those take strong partnerships… with all stakeholders and we at JPS are committed to the growth of electric vehicles,” he declared.

JPS’s ‘Charge and Go’ system is not as large as Evergo’s but has locations in six parishes, including St James where a charging station is located in Ironshore.

Grant said it is important to build out the network to support these new systems given the importance electrically powered vehicles play in the environment.

“We are a big believer that, in order to reduce carbon emissions, one of the first things we have to do is also reduce the carbon not only in the energy sector but also in the transportation sector. That takes heightened partnerships and stakeholder engagements,” he stated.

Grant said he is looking forward to seeing how this will contribute to JPS’ bottom line, overall, although he admitted that it is now not a significant amount.

“But I think that as we continue to partner with key stakeholders in the automotive industry. I think it only has the opportunity to play a greater role and that is consistent with industry trends. So we’re constantly looking to partner to grow that particular business,” said Grant.