The 35-year-old man living in Marianao, a municipality in the city of Havana, told Xinhua his new vehicle requires less maintenance, as it uses an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine.
“I have made a wise decision,” he said. “With this tricycle, I am saving money because no fuel is required. This is not a trivial matter.”
Thousands of Cubans across the country have started to use Chinese electric cars and scooters amid fuel shortages and tightened U.S. economic sanctions, which have dealt a heavy blow to the island’s transportation system.
Amelia Rosales, 26, owns a Chinese electric scooter and uses it for work and in leisure time.
“I use this scooter to work as a delivery girl for a fast-food restaurant in downtown Havana,” she said. “In addition, I take my daughter to school in the morning.”
To increase the presence of electric modes of personal transportation in the region, China’s Tianjin Dongxing Industrial and Commercial Group, along with Cuban state-owned company