Hailing Green Taxis

Tshewang Rinzin is driving and as he enters the main city, he sees the long line at the fuel station. He is on his way to the newly opened EV Public Charging station in Changlimethang.

It has been 6 months since Tshewang started to drive an electric vehicle (EV). Moving silently along the tarmac, he drives a seven-seater EV taxi. He used to drive a petrol-powered cab before ‘upshifting’ gears to a fully automatic transmission. One of the first mini-bus EVs in the country, Tshewang is a member of the Bhutan Taxi Association where he was able to purchase a green taxi with a reasonable and very attractive deal of a 70% loan from the Royal Monetary Authority, 20% coverage by UNDP and only 10% from his own pocket.

“Before the pandemic hit, I was planning to order a few electric vehicles. I always wanted to start an electric vehicle hiring company for tourists. But after the borders closed and the tourism industry stopped, I could not imagine following my plans. It was too risky for me. Then I decided to switch to an electric car and experiment in the time being,” says Tshewang.

Prior to 2020 when the country still had its borders open and saw the growth of tourism, to an extent, taxis benefitted as well from regional travelers and tourists. Tshewang wanted to set up an electric vehicle hiring company which tour operators could utilize. He plans to follow through on his plans post COIVD,

“I think using electric vehicles in the tourism sector maybe a great solution to further promote and accelerate the dawn of green cars in the country. It not only helps us in reducing carbon footprints, but also our dependence on fuels. It would reduce fuel costs for tour companies and a niche tour package could also be introduced with electric cars,” continues Tshewang.  

Ever since last year, Tshewang began driving an EV taxi, commuting long distances from Thimphu to neighboring dzongkhags like Punakha and Wangduephodrang. There are more than 15 EV taxis in Thimphu. Like the availability of fuel stations for vehicles in dzongkhags, Charging Stations for electric vehicles must also follow suit in order to promote its usage in other parts of Bhutan,

“If our country wants to fully shift to green cars, it must make EV services and facilities equally available in every dzongkhag. Currently, we have Charging Stations in Thimphu, Paro, Haa, Punakha, Phuentsholing and Wangduephodrang. For green taxi drivers, our transportation services are therefore limited to those areas. And with current restrictions and less travelers, it’s tough for us to make ends meet. Charging our vehicles at home is quite expensive. Another challenge we face is that some passengers are not accustomed to EVs and avoid travelling in our cars because they do not feel safe and fear getting stranded,” says Tshewang.

“But whenever I talk with my passengers, I always try to promote electric cars and advocate for their use. We must help our country in every little way possible. We often talk about global warming, climate change and saving the environment, and as an EV driver it is a small service we can provide, in a small way. There is a future for these green cars if we uphold and support it strongly. It will take some time to fully engage and reap the benefits, but it’s only a matter of time,” says Tshewang.

As Tshewang passes the fuel station, the smell of fuel enters the car. He recollects the last time he was there at the fuel station. He rolls up the window and heads towards the EV station.

Article contributed by UNRCO for the UN/JICA We Care We Share Initiative