Cuba fuel ban drives 75 per cent drop in public transport trips, pushes EV adoption amid grid and charging gaps
By Eve
Cuba's Transportation Minister Eduardo Rodriguez Davila told Reuters that passenger trips on public transport are forecast to fall 75 per cent in 2025 versus 2024, following a US fuel import ban imposed in late January. Daily provincial bus services from Havana dropped from 419 to 11, island wide routes fell from over 100 to 21, and inter urban transport is down 90 per cent. The crisis is accelerating electric vehicle uptake, though electricity shortages and limited charging infrastructure pose new obstacles.
Why it matters
A near total collapse in conventional transport creates urgent demand for EV alternatives, but highlights the critical dependency on reliable grid supply and charging networks to sustain any transition at scale. Operators and funders eyeing emerging markets must account for infrastructure resilience alongside vehicle deployment.
Source
- Original title
- “Cuba’s fuel crisis cripples public transport, accelerates EV shift”
- Published
- 23 October 2026
- Updated
- 25 October 2026
In this story
- Topic
- Electric Vehicles
- Place
- Cuba
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