A Cuban self-employed worker charges up to 800 dollars to install a solar panel on an electric tricycle, materials included, according to a video posted on Facebook that has nearly one million views.
The clip, lasting 48 seconds, was published by Aldo Idael Carracedo Tamayo and shows the control box, the panel mounted on the vehicle, and the tricycle's screen recording the battery charge level rising to 80% thanks to solar energy.
"Well, my people, the latest in technology, here it is. Look at the control box. Look at the panel up there. Watch how the horse charges. It already has 80. And here on the screen, 80... no more charging with electricity", the man can be heard saying in the video.
The solution stands out in a context where the energy crisis in Cuba has intensified.
In March 2026, the national electrical system generated only 1,140 megawatts compared to a demand of 2,347 megawatts, leading to widespread blackouts across the island.
In the face of the collapse of public transportation, where at times no bus routes were operating in Havana, electric tricycles became the most widespread alternative mode of transportation among the population.
The installation of solar panels on these vehicles has become a growing trend.
Recently, there was news about a 650-watt BlueZone panel installed on a tricycle, one of the solutions that Cubans have adopted to cope with power outages and keep their vehicles running.
Another example of popular ingenuity is the solar bicitaxi that charges its battery with a panel, an initiative that demonstrates how Cubans adapt accessible technologies to meet their everyday mobility needs.
The phenomenon has also reached institutions. Guantánamo announced the use of electric tricycles with integrated solar charging for waste collection, while at the national level, solar stations, where drivers recharge their electric vehicles, have been promoted.
The Cuban government has also promised in the past the development of high-tech tricycles with three photovoltaic solar panels, although the private sector seems to be progressing at a much faster pace than state projects in this area.
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