As Antigua and Barbuda pushes forward with its national transition to cleaner, low-carbon transportation, the country’s Cabinet has given formal approval to launch a specialized Electric Vehicle Maintenance and Training Laboratory at the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS). This strategic infrastructure project is being advanced through the government’s Sustainable Low-Emission Island Mobility (SLIM) initiative, tabled for approval by Honourable Michael Joseph, Minister for Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, via the country’s Department of Environment.
Cabinet assessments highlighted a growing critical gap in the nation’s automotive sector: while registrations and on-road use of electric vehicles have climbed steadily in recent years, local technicians lack the specialized capacity to safely diagnose, service, and repair the high-voltage systems that power EVs. Currently, most complex EV maintenance work relies on imported technical expertise from overseas, creating delays and added costs for vehicle owners and slowing broader adoption of clean transport. The new training lab is explicitly designed to close this skills gap and cut the country’s dependence on foreign technical support.
The facility will serve as a permanent hub for hands-on training covering core EV and hybrid vehicle competencies, including high-voltage system safety, next-generation battery technology, advanced electrical diagnostics, and standardized maintenance procedures. ABCAS was selected as the host institution to integrate the lab’s equipment and specialized curriculum into the country’s ongoing technical education frameworks, ensuring it can train successive generations of students, working automotive technicians, instructor candidates, and other industry stakeholders.
Alongside approving the lab’s establishment, the Cabinet has greenlit the procurement of a full suite of specialized training equipment and instructional resources. This package includes an advanced EV training platform, dedicated battery laboratory kits, relay testing kits, purpose-built high-voltage safety gear, and other specialized tools for practical skill-building. Under a formal Memorandum of Understanding, ABCAS will take custody of the equipment for educational use, with clear protocols outlined for maintenance, inventory management, access control, reporting, and continued use for approved training programs.
To ensure the lab can launch with fully qualified local teaching staff, the Cabinet has also approved two complementary train-the-trainer programs. The first is a 10-day Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Service and Repair Train-the-Trainer course, which will accommodate 15 participants. The curriculum covers all core competencies from high-voltage safety and battery handling to fault diagnosis, heating and cooling systems, braking and suspension work, and hybrid-specific technology. Participants who successfully complete the program will earn a certificate of competence and become eligible to pursue formal industry certification.
A second, more intensive 5-day advanced workshop will be hosted on-site at ABCAS, offering hands-on advanced training for up to 10 participants using the lab’s new EV training system and specialized equipment. All costs for the project will be covered by pre-approved SLIM Project budgets, with all procurement and implementation processes required to follow the country’s established financial and public procurement regulations. The Cabinet has formally authorized the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, through the Department of Environment, to finalize all procurement, training, and handover arrangements needed to bring the lab into full operation.
Cabinet members have publicly welcomed the initiative as a key coordinated effort that aligns the government’s overlapping policy goals for education, technical and vocational training, environmental protection, and long-term sustainable development. As EV and hybrid vehicle adoption continues to rise globally and across small island developing states, the lab will position Antigua and Barbuda to build domestic, homegrown expertise in a rapidly growing sector that will only grow in economic and environmental importance in coming decades.