Why Have Electric ?Motorcycles Become So Popular in Cuba?

Electric motorcycles have inundated in Cuba in recent years, as Cubans seek ways to move around without depending on gasoline. Cuba continues to suffer an energy crisis, exacerbated by U.S. sanctions.

“There are plenty of electric motorcycles in the streets,” says a Cuban.

“It saves time”, adds a woman..

“They are ideal for the city,” says another Cuban.

“Motorcycles make life easier for Cubans when it comes to getting around, because right now

transportation is very bad”, says a young man sitting in the street.

“You can move around with it easily. No need to worry about gas,” says another woman at a stoplight.

“There’s no fuel in Cuba now. There are economic problems in the country” says a mechanic.

U.S. sanctions have contributed to a fuel crisis in Cuba. Gas shortages have led Cubans to seek alternatives to gasoline-powered cars.

“In Cuba right now, they are more accessible to many people. Not everyone can afford it, but it solves the problem and is very reliable,” says a Cuban.

The electric motorcycle boom has created business opportunities for Cuba’s mechanics.

“The number of repair shops has risen with the increase of electric motorcycles. As you can see, this bike is a bit of an invention. It has parts from different motorcycles. It’s a Frankenstein. But it gets the job done and it works just fine. We make do with what we have. We try not to replace too many pieces, but to fix them. Because it’s really difficult to get pieces,” says another mechanic in his workshop.

“Cubans are resourceful. We're changing things constantly in our culture. That’s why we always put music and lights on it. Something flashy,” says a Cuban.

“That’s how Cubans are. We are Latinos and we love music. We love to show off,” concludes a Cuban.