Porteon to manufacture All-Electric Vehicles in St. Lucia - Strengthening CARICOM ties with Jamaican Skilled Labour

There will soon be an All-Electric Vehicle Maker in Jamaica, making my wished as per my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and All-Electric Vehicles - The Harder They Come, Jamaican Style” come to pass.

This as an Oregon-Based company, Porteon, has plans to set up a plant in Viewfort,  St. Lucia right here in the Caribbean to manufacture cars and trucks, all of which will be All-Electric Vehicles as per the article “Electrifying Rides – Porteon plans 2012 Electric Car roll-out in Ja”, published Sunday December 4^th 2011 by Mel Cooke, The Sunday Gleaner.

The company made its debut at the inaugural Wealth Auto Show at the National Stadium put on by ATL Automotive CEO Adam Stewart and Sandals Group CEO and Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart on Saturday November 26^th 2011AD and Sunday November 27^th 2011AD as faithfully recorded in the article “Strong New-Car Display at the Arena”, published Sunday December 4^th 2011 by Mel Cooke, The Sunday Gleaner.

Please note: this was the same Wealth Auto show that had been promised as far back as November 11^th 2011 as per the article “Wealth Auto Show opens soon”, published Friday, November 11, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

And as The Jamaica Observer reports it bosses own exploits, the organizers who contributed to the show were very much pleased about the turnout and the interest show in their inaugural show as noted in the article “Organisers happy with auto show”, published Friday, December 02, 2011 by Brian Bonitto Associate Editor — Entertainment and Auto, The Jamaica Observer, making this blogger anticipate yet another show next year in 2012AD.

If it sounds too good to be true, I have more shocking news. The vehicles will not be built in St. Lucia, but rather sent down disassembled and built into parts so as to make storage in a container easier. Thus their modus operandi becomes revealed; they are shipping the parts to be reconstructed in elsewhere, with Jamaica being one of their target markets for their All-Electric Vehicles.

Thus skilled Jamaicans will be getting work to reconstruct All-Electric Vehicles in Jamaica to the following specifications:

• Top Speed: 75 km/h (47 mph)
• Maximum range: 130 km to 160 km on a full charge
• Charging Source: A 110VAC or 220VAC outlet
• Body: Lightweight rust-proof Aluminum chassis and body
• Braking: Four-wheel Disk Hydraulic Braking Systems
• Drive: Electric Motors at each wheel, unknown specifications
• Three (3) year warranty
• Price: JA$1.4 million

Hopefully these are vehicles using the Range Extender Technology as suggested in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and Range Extender Technology - Jamaica to Rhaatid” as being more suitable for Jamaica, being as it would help support the All Island Gasoline Retailers, who may have qualms about All-electric Vehicles becoming popular and eventually putting them out of business.

As the show itself was a partnership of car dealers with ATL it is not inconceivable that portion may be in already in partnership with ATL Automotive. This as ATL Automotive has plans to ship and market European make Diesel Vehicles to Jamaica in the next twelve (12) months in July 2012AD.

All thanks to coming improvements in the Sulphur content in diesel fuel announced by then Minister of Industry and Commerce, Karl Samuda, just in time for the London Olympic Games as per my blog article entitled “ATL Automotive to benefit from Low-Sulphur Diesel in 12 Months Time - Bio-Fuels Resident Evil Apocalypse”.

So it does appear I was indeed wrong about ATL CEO Adam Stewart and his company’s intention to bring polluting Diesel Vehicles to Jamaica. This as if the Oregon-based Porteon trucks and vehicles are indeed partnered with ATL automotive, they will not only be environmentally friendly, but if the vehicles are of the Range Extender type and preferably Flex-Fuel, they will also benefit from the improved Sulphur content in the Diesel and Gasoline fuel.

Not only that, but it will generate a side industry for Engineers and Technicians for All-Electric Charging Stations and Solar Charging Stations as per the article “Honda debuts Solar-powered charging station”, posted December 22, 2010 by Jamaipanese installed in partnership with Gas Stations as well as, Inductive Vehicle Chargers to installed at people’s homes.

There will also be work to fix and replace the Lithium-Ion Batteries that these vehicles no doubt will use and also servicing the Electric Motors that live at each wheel and the Electric generator that kicks in whenever the charge in the Lithium-ion batteries dies down.

Kudos all around for ATL Automotive and CEO Adam Stewart, who unwittingly may be following my suggestion as per my blog article entitled “ATL Automotive to benefit from Low-Sulphur Diesel in 12 Months Time - Bio-Fuels Resident Evil Apocalypse”!!

This improvement (and the Porteon Al-Electric Vehicles) is coming in the July of 2012AD, the slated month of completion of the upgrade to the Petrojam refinery that will make 5 to 15 ppm (part per million) fuel a reality in Jamaica.

It may also herald the coming of local support and recognition for Marzouca’s Island Cruiser Vehicles, which albeit not an All-Electric Vehicle, demonstrates that Jamaicans do have the technical skills to manufacture motor vehicles for export  as noted in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Transport Sector and Excel Motors Limited -  Russian Roulette and Top Gear”.

Until then, Jamaicans can dream of driving vehicles that are as quiet as a tomb and possibly marketed by popular Radio DJ’s, Dancehall Artiste and Media Personalities, who can afford the JA$1.4 million price tag (right??!!) as surmised in my Geezam blog article entitled “Oregon-based Porteon to assemble All-Electric Vehicles in Jamaica – One By One”.

So stay tuned to this blog for more information on this exciting development of the coming of a FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) to manufacture All-Electric Vehicles in St. Lucia for assembly in Jamaica, a coupe for ATL Automotive!