Popularity of Chinese electric tricycles in Cuba: Cuba’s transportation system has been hit hard by fuel shortages and strict economic sanctions by the United States.

As a result, many Cubans are using Chinese-made electric cars and tricycles. China’s Tianjin Dongxing Industrial and Commercial Group has partnered with Cuban state-owned company Minerva to set up the Caribbean Electric Vehicle Company (VEDCA), a joint venture that has quickly won the Cuban market.

VEDCA’s plant in western Havana has produced 2,500 electric scooters and 1,500 electric tricycles, generating $6 million in sales.

The 35-year-old man living in Marianao, a municipality in the city of Havana, told Xinhua his new vehicle requires less maintenance, as it uses an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine.

“I have made a wise decision,” he said. “With this tricycle, I am saving money because no fuel is required. This is not a trivial matter.”

Thousands of Cubans across the country have started to use Chinese electric cars and scooters amid fuel shortages and tightened US economic sanctions, which have dealt a heavy blow to the island’s transportation system.