Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Eastern Caribbean countries could combine their demand for electric vehicles to negotiate lower prices, as regional governments look for ways to reduce their dependence on imported fuel.

Browne raised the idea Saturday on Pointe FM’s Browne and Browne Show while discussing meetings he held in the United States to seek support for energy projects. He said he had met representatives of Octopus, a United Kingdom energy company, and discussed electric vehicles.

The prime minister said a purchase by Antigua and Barbuda alone would have less bargaining power than an order placed across the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. As an example of the scale he had in mind, he suggested the countries could collectively seek about 100,000 vehicles.

“If we can come together as an OECS region and purchase maybe about, let’s say, 100,000 EVs,” the countries could bring down the cost, Browne said. His sentence was interrupted in the broadcast, and he did not give a projected price or estimate the potential savings.

The 100,000 figure was an illustration, not an announced order. Browne did not identify which OECS governments would participate, how vehicles would be financed or purchased, who would receive them, or when a regional arrangement might be negotiated. He also did not announce a contract with Octopus for a joint purchase.

Browne said Octopus was providing some electric vehicles for a reception involving regional leaders, but he did not specify the number of vehicles or describe any longer-term supply agreement.

The proposal formed part of a wider discussion about the cost and reliability of energy in the Caribbean. Browne said regional countries were seeking grants and other financing for solar projects and the development of geothermal energy. He also pointed to rising diesel prices as a reason to move more quickly toward alternatives to fossil fuels.

The prime minister said Antigua and Barbuda was subsidizing diesel prices and had separately considered increasing its fuel reserves because of supply concerns. A regional electric vehicle purchase, if pursued, would address the longer-term question of fuel use. Browne gave no timetable for turning the idea into a formal OECS proposal.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda wants OECS to Pool Electric Vehicle Orders to Cut Costs.