this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
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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.

For six decades, Cuba's roads changed little, defined by colorful vintage cars. But in recent years, Cubans increasingly adopted electric vehicles as fuel became more scarce. Now, they are helping the population grapple with a worsening fuel crisis, since the U.S. cut off oil exports from the communist-run country's ally Venezuela and threatened to penalize other countries exporting fuel to the island.

Donald Trump's administration has declared Cuba "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security.

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[–] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 61 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (3 children)

US policy forcing cuba into a green socialist utopia lol.

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

Island nations make the most sense to convert anyway. Import costs for consumable resources are already astronomical, why wouldn't you switch to tech that can be completely self sufficient locally?

[–] Resonosity@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Netflix made a documentary about the European islands that prioritized switching away from oil: Islands of the Future.

I would say with China's help, a renewable Cuba is entirely possible.

My only concern is the hazards introduced by hurricanes, which can be compensated for by implementing flush roof-mount solar PV systems (minimizes wind loads), underground electric power lines, subgrade geothermal loops with heat pumps, indoor substations and Battery Electric Storage System (BESS) facilities, and pumped storage hydropower utilizing Cuba's mountain ranges. Wind is probably not a viable technology given that hurricanes can completely cover the island with crazy strong winds.

Edit: as another commenter pointed out, tidal power would be a good alternative too. The best technology I've seen to utilize tidal is made by Orbital Marine Power based out of Scotland, who basically slaps 2 turbines onto a submarine to collect power. Could have offshore substations that collect that power and send it back to shore.

[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I've always thought this too, but Japan, and specifically Okinawa (where I live) are so reliant on fossil fuels. I figured we'd have solar panels on every home, offshore wind, and maybe even lead the innovation for tidal energy but nope.

[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 2 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

Japan is a huge island in size and population compared to Cuba. And of course they kept importing oil and gas from Russia...

[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 hours ago

I'm not seeing how that's relevant. It's bigger, yeah, but still an island nation with the same import cost issue that empireOfLove2 mentioned. Does being bigger and more populous somehow cancel that out?

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 points 6 hours ago

Okinawa isn't on one of the home islands

It's tiny compared to Taiwan, much less Cuba

[–] Alexstarfire@lemmy.world 3 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Which parts are self sufficient for Cuba? The electricity generation? They don't have all the components to make lithium batteries.

[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 1 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Battery recycling will take 25 years to establish, when one generation of electric vehicles needs to be remade.

[–] SpongyAneurysm@feddit.org 4 points 11 hours ago

There's gotta be initial imports. Afterwards, they can be self-sufficient running these things and not be dependent on fuel imports, though.

Once they have enough lithium in the country, it could last them for decades, if they adopt a clever recycling strategy; not unlike they did with the 1950s cars.

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 11 points 18 hours ago

Ya love to see it!

[–] e8CArkcAuLE@piefed.social 2 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

they are already the only country with a very high human development index and a ecological footprint smaller than 1.7 global hectares per person which is the threshold beneath which development can be sustainable.
source

but i’m afraid with the health and education system completely falling apart, especially in rural communities, this high hdi will not be maintained.

also there is no money for normal people to get any kind of vehicle, let alone electric.
if they are lucky and have some family abroad they might be able to source a solar panel, converter and battery, but going electric is far away, even if we consider the cheapest chinese EVs sold at 3000usd.

they might be able to pull it off in a different way, cubans have become really resilient and resourceful. old washing machine motors would be sold to transform into generators, normal one use lighters would be made refillable (the gas canisters would be reused insecticide cans), electronics would be fixed on a hardware level…

but that was before…on addition to the ever tighter embargoes and economical woes that come with it, since 2012 the population declined rapidly from a maximum of 11.2 million people to 9.75 million people in 2024, due to emigration and natural population decline through an ageing society source