Dec. 5, 2001 – As St. Thomas resident Doug White continues to press his case with the government for registering his solar-powered electric car, Sen. Lorraine Berry said Wednesday she has requested that a bill be drafted to allow such vehicles on V.I. roads.
"Sometimes innovative means can solve problems," she said.
At the very least, Berry said, her bill will provide a forum for discussing the issue. If using electric cars in the Virgin Islands turns out to be viable, she said, the bill will set forth the rules and regulations for allowing them on the road.
White was pleased to learn that Berry was "taking up the cause." He said it would have been simpler for Gov. Charles W. Turnbull to order the Motor Vehicles Bureau to register his car, but since the governor didn't seem inclined in that direction, the legislative route is the next option. But he expressed concern that the bill could get bogged down in the Senate bureaucracy.
Bureau director Lawrence Olive has said electric cars are not roadworthy. Electric cars are legal in 37 states and Puerto Rico.
White has been trying for more than a year and a half to register his GEM electric car. He says the vehicle is perfect for use in low-speed areas such as Cruz Bay, where he often works, and Red Hook, where he lives. "Two of these fit in the space of one," he said, referring to the shortage of parking in Cruz Bay.
Fed up with trying to deal with the government, White has announced a "Push Protest" on St. John Saturday. Supporters will gather at 10 a.m. at the Creek to push his 1,200-pound car through the streets of Cruz Bay.
