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In the News from Panama

New All-Electric Panama-Costa Rica Route Debuts

It just became easier to drive from Panama to Costa Rica using electric vehicles. An official “electric route” was established this week with strategic recharge stations along the Pan American Highway to San Jose, the Costa Rican capital.

In total, 60 recharge stations were installed in Panama, with 193 in Costa Rica. The Costa Rica route includes 43 Direct Current Fast Charges, which can recharge an EV battery in an hour. Most of the chargers are available in commercial establishments, providing easy access.

“Besides reducing emissions, the goal is for both countries to join forces so the government and private sector can promote citizens’ adoption of electric vehicles,” Alexander Fragueiro, the Panamanian Energy Secretariat’s national consultant on electric mobility, told Efe news service.

This is a nice edition to the road system, offering a more environmentally-sensitive way to drive up the beautiful coastline. New infrastructure, including new bridges and stretches of road, are making the 560-mile (900km) drive easier than ever, connecting Panama with all that Costa Rica offers.

All the interested parties made a big splash about the debut of the new route, staging a caravan of EVs that drove the route.

“We’re very happy and enthusiastic. The San Jose-Panama City electric route has several recharge points so those of us with electric vehicles can move from capital to capital,” the executive director of the Costa Rican Electric Mobility Association, Silvia Rojas, told Efe.

EV cars eliminate emissions, and there is already a growing infrastructure in place to supply them with clean energy. In Costa Rica, 99% of the electricity is generated by renewable sources, while Panama is increasing its use of solar and wind power, Rojas said.

The all-electric drive will also be cheaper. Authorities estimate it will cost about $8 to make the electric drive from Panama to Costa Rica, compared to $25 to $50 for a gas-powered car.