MORE than 45 electric vehicles have been sold by FMF Foods Ltd subsidiary FMF EV within months of entering Fiji’s electric vehicle market.
Now the company is looking at expanding its presence into the Northern Division.
FMF Foods Ltd’s national sales manager Ganeshwar Mani said interest in electric vehicles had been encouraging, despite the company only recently introducing the new range.
“We only started selling them a few months ago, and we’ve already sold more than 45 vehicles,” he said.
Mr Mani said sales had so far been concentrated in Suva, with only limited displays in the West.
However he said there are plans to introduce the vehicles to customers in the North during the FMF Duavata Northern Crime Prevention Carnival.
“We will showcase the vehicle to the public when the carnival begins this week.”
He said the carnival would provide an opportunity for northern residents to view the vehicles and learn about their features.
“We’re hoping to bring the vehicles to the North so people can become familiar with them and ask questions.”
He said many people in Vanua Levu had not had the opportunity to see electric vehicles up close because displays had largely been limited to Viti Levu. hen asked about the prices, he said prices started at about $49,000, while higher-end models cost more because of the additional features they offered.
He said one of the biggest misconceptions about electric vehicles was that owners required expensive charging infrastructure.
“Every vehicle comes with its own charger, so owners can charge it at home. Home charging takes a few hours, but with a fast charger it takes about half an hour.” He said electric vehicles were also significantly cheaper to operate than conventional fuel-powered vehicles.
“For the smallest model, it costs about $12 to fully charge and it can travel up to 350 kilometres.
“Compared to spending on fuel, it’s much more economical, especially with fuel prices continuing to rise.”
He said the new building, currently under construction in Wailevu in Labasa, would also include a modern showroom for the company’s electric vehicles alongside its expanded warehouse operations.
“The showroom will make it easier for Northern customers to access the company’s growing range of electric vehicles without having to travel to Suva.” He said the company remained optimistic that demand for electric vehicles would continue to increase as more people looked for cost-effective and environmentally friendly transport options.
