Electric Vehicles Replace Classic Cars on Cuba's Streets

The rumble of 1959 Chevrolets, once the rhythmic heartbeat of Havana, is fading to the near silence of electric vehicles as the island faces its worst fuel shortage in years. Cuba’s forced electric transition has become the only way to keep the country moving.

From Classic Cars to Electric Rickshaws

According to Reuters, in Havana’s Alamar neighborhood, Eugenio Gainza weaves a state-run rickshaw-style electric tricycle over rutted roads, picking up passengers. “We make 16 trips a day,” he says. “There is no fuel. This is the only means of transportation supporting this area.”

For six decades, Cuba’s roads changed little, defined by colorful vintage American cars that became a global icon. But in recent years, growing fuel scarcity pushed Cubans to adopt electric vehicles — a trend now accelerating dramatically.

The Crisis That Forced the Shift

The Trump administration declared Cuba “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security, cutting off oil exports from Venezuela and threatening tariffs on any country sending fuel to the island.

The result: record blackouts affecting 64% of the country, an unprecedented transportation crisis, and cancellation of international flights due to jet fuel shortages.

Last week, the government detailed a sweeping fuel rationing plan to protect essential services, prioritizing healthcare, education, and defense.

Renewable Energy as a Lifeline

For residents like María Caridad González, state-run electric vehicles are a lifeline — the only viable way to get around in an economy squeezed by rationing. Private services also exist but are more expensive, she said.

“Together, it is what is helping the country move forward,” resident Bárbaro Castañeda told Reuters. “Otherwise, we would be completely paralyzed.”

Cuba recently hit a record 800 MW of solar generation, which paradoxically benefits the charging of these vehicles during daylight hours. However, nighttime blackouts remain a significant obstacle.

A Cityscape in Transformation

The change isn’t just functional — it’s cultural. Havana’s streets, world-famous for their technicolor classic cars, are acquiring a new sonic identity: electric silence. Tricycles, electric motorcycles, and small battery-powered buses are multiplying, imported mainly from China, while classic American cars sit increasingly idle without gasoline.

It’s a historical irony: the blockade intended to pressure Cuba’s government may be accelerating an energy transition that many countries around the world are pursuing voluntarily.