First Latin American and Caribbean electrolinera opens its doors in Bávaro Punta Cana

Evergo marks a milestone by creating the first energy service center for electric car charging in the region, powered by 100% renewable energy. The infrastructure has an ecological and modern approach to serve private, tourist and cargo transportation.

Visiting the east of the Dominican Republic is associated with the indelible image of its turquoise waters, its greenery dotting the horizon and the welcoming caress of its sea breeze. Taking care of all these benefits is no less than a matter of the first order. The start-up of the country’s first electric-powered gas station, located in Bávaro Punta Cana, points precisely in that direction.

It is a large structure developed by the company Evergo that houses ultra-fast chargers, pioneers in the country, with the capacity to simultaneously charge 29 electric cars with 100% renewable energy. Its purpose is to help promote electric mobility, but above all to help the eastern zone become the first zero-emission tourist destination in the country.

One of the most relevant points of Evergo Connect is that it is developed by 100% Dominican talent, and has been conceived under a purpose that connects cutting-edge technology and sustainability.

Environmental benefit
The United Nations and the International Energy Agency have indicated that electric cars produce about half the carbon emissions of a conventional car, from manufacture to disposal. In addition, there is a potential reduction of 25% less when the electricity from which it is powered is low carbon.

In the case of Evergo Connect, its power supply is totally clean: “The location of this electric station, in the concession area of our sister company CEPM, guarantees 100% renewable generation through photovoltaic panels and a state-of-the-art energy storage system. In this way, we guarantee a clean and sustainable power supply for vehicles,” said Rolando González Búnster, president and CEO of InterEnergy Group, Evergo’s parent company.

This infrastructure required an investment of more than US$10 million. IDB Invest, the private investment arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), collaborated in this process. For the multilateral institution, the energy transition in the region is an aspect of vital importance and for this reason Evergo Connect was one of the projects highlighted and visited by the main representatives of the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the IDB and IDB Invest 2024 held in Punta Cana.

Load the vehicle much faster
The new gas station, located on the Boulevard Turístico del Este, in front of CEPM, will have CCS1 chargers, the fastest category available in Latin America, with a capacity of 225 kilowatts (kW).

These charging stations stand out for their power, as they charge a vehicle in less than 15 minutes, depending on the vehicle’s battery and its capacity. In addition, the loading process is silent thanks to its cooling system. It also has a communication system that monitors the charge level, electric current and voltage to ensure safe charging.

In addition, it allows two vehicles to be serviced simultaneously. The devices even integrate multiple charging connectors so that all types of vehicles can charge at these stations.

With the future in mind, the company’s chargers feature Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology. This allows the car to be integrated into the network of the energy distribution companies. It should be recalled that UNWTO estimates indicate that tourism CO2 emissions from transport account for 22% of total transport emissions.

The increase in imports of electric vehicles in the Dominican Republic, with a record 3,652 imports by 2023, reflects the growing interest of people in more sustainable and environmentally conscious mobility options.

Modern facilities
Another evidence of Evergo Connect’s avant-garde approach is its stationary bicycles within these facilities. Its function is to encourage customers to use them while charging their vehicles. The kilocalories burned during exercise are recorded and, through a conversion process, converted into energy credits that are deducted from the charge bill through the Evergo application.

Through a digital platform, the user can check the status and cost of charging in real time, reserve chargers, use flexible payment options, calculate CO2 emissions savings, identify the types of connectors by stations and locate the route to them.

“With facilities and technology of this type, we contribute to the eastern zone becoming the first zero carbon and smart Dominican tourist destination in the country, in line with our international commitments as a country that aim to reduce carbon emissions by half by 2030.”
Rolando González Búnster
President and CEO of InterEnergy Group

The beginning of the future
González Búnster informed that this first electric station in Bávaro Punta Cana is a pilot experience with a projection of national and regional expansion, first in Santo Domingo and soon in other points of the Central American region such as Panama and Mexico.

The company is also present in the markets of Jamaica, Uruguay, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Aruba. In all these territories it has more than 1,200 public charging stations. Most of them, more than 560, are on Dominican soil. In addition, they have the My Evergo line for residential energy and Evergo Fleet for fleets.

“Our goal is to continue growing in the region with the philosophy of promoting electric mobility and environmental sustainability. With our network, we have already mitigated 2 million kilograms of CO2, and we want to continue contributing much more for the future of our planet”, he concluded.