Solar tricycles bypass fuel blockades in Havana's Vedado neighborhood

Cuba's US fuel blockade cripples garbage collection in Havana, but a solar-powered tricycle network now provides free trash pickup for vulnerable residents in one neighborhood.

El Rampeño, a private business supported by local government, operates solar-powered electric tricycles in Havana’s Vedado neighborhood. The project launched in July 2026 with five vehicles and has recently expanded to thirty tricycles (ten operational). Each tricycle uses a 5.4kWh lithium iron phosphate battery with a 30–44 mile range, carrying up to 600kg of waste at 24mph. The system charges tricycles via solar canopies at Solinera parking lot, avoiding fuel dependency during the US blockade that left over 50% of Havana’s garbage trucks non-operational. Residents pay 100 pesos monthly for trash collection, while businesses pay 15,000 pesos—though the project provides free service to vulnerable households.

This model addresses immediate waste management gaps in a neighborhood where fuel shortages previously stalled garbage collection. By using solar charging and locally manufactured tricycles (produced by VEDCA, a joint venture between Tianjin Dongxing Industrial and Commercial Group and Cuban state-owned Minerva), El Rampeño creates a low-friction solution for trash access without fuel imports. For vulnerable residents in Vedado, it ensures waste collection remains available despite the blockade.

The project’s scalability depends on expanding beyond Vedado and securing consistent solar access. Key caveats include its limited neighborhood scope, Cuba’s complex currency system affecting pricing comparisons, and the fact that the project’s current scale is described as 'recently expanded' relative to August 19, 2026. While Cuba previously adopted electric motorcycles during 2019 fuel shortages, this solar tricycle network represents a new adaptation to the current blockade.

Source: Electrek