Doña Leila Navas Víquez is a taxi driver from Pérez Zeledón, and besides being one of the few women in the industry, is also the woman with the first electric taxi in Costa Rica.
She has been doing so since June 14.
Although at the beginning she had doubts, thanks to the help of her children she became convinced and changed her car for a zero-emission, which at the same time has represented a significant economic saving.
The experience of Doña Leila and her son Carlos Sánchez was exposed on Monday afternoon at the Consejo de Transporte Público (CTP) – Public Transport Council – in the company of First Lady Claudia Dobles, Vice Minister of Transportation Eduardo Brenes, CTP director Manuel Vega, and representatives of the taxi industry.
Her taxi, plate number TSJ 29, is the first taxi of this type that has a green license plate as a hallmark of an electric vehicle.
In the short time that it has been in operation, Doña Leila went from a weekly expense of ¢80,000 in diesel to ¢10,000 in the electricity bill, a saving of ¢70,000.
Working in Pérez Zeledón, daily from 6:00 am to 7:30 pm, she puts in an average of 120 km per day. Doña Leila says that at the end of her day, the vehicle has approximately 15% battery. which she charges for about 7 hours during the night.
“This is a family investment, with the help of my children I convinced myself to have a vehicle that does not pollute and that also gives me more profit. When I tried the electric taxi I fell in love; It is safe, comfortable, economical and does not pollute,” said Doña Leila Navas.
On Monday, the First Lady highlighted the vision of this enterprising woman who overcame the uncertainty and was convinced by the zero-emission vehicle.
“Thank you, Doña Leila, for sharing your experience, for being a pioneer in the country, overcoming doubts, informing and collaborating with the great goal we have to decarbonize our public transport,” said Dobles.
Doña Leila’s son, Carlos Luis Sánchez Navas, who is a mechanic professor with knowledge of electric vehicles, motivated her mother to know the technology of a zero-emission vehicle, he explained about autonomy, its load, and savings.
“I was undecided, I had questions and fears that the car would not work, I thought it was like a toy car. I even thought that I was going to be electrocuted, but my son cleared me of all doubts, mounted me in my boss’s car that is electric, I tried it, and I definitely said this is what we need,” said Doña Leila, the woman with the first electric taxi in Costa Rica.
