Antigua and Barbuda Receives 20 Electric Vehicles from Geely for CHOGM 2026

Antigua and Barbuda has added 20 electric vehicles to its official transport fleet ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026, following a sponsorship arrangement with Chinese automotive company Geely Motors.

The vehicles, all Zeekr 7X models, arrived at St. John’s Harbour on November 1 and were formally handed over to the government on Monday, November 2, during a ceremony at Camp Blizzard.

The handover brought together Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Minister E.P. Chet Greene, who chairs the CHOGM 2026 Taskforce; Chinese Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda Jiang Wei; and Geely Motors Marketing Representative Bao Huanke, also known as Echo.

Greene expressed gratitude to Geely Motors for providing the vehicles, saying the contribution would assist with transportation arrangements for the high-level gathering.

“On behalf of the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Gaston Browne, and the people of Antigua and Barbuda, I wish to thank Geely Motors for providing transport solutions in support of CHOGM 2026,” Greene said.

He also expressed hope that the partnership would have lasting benefits beyond the November summit, adding that he wanted its impact to be visible on the country's roads long after the meeting concludes.

The minister separately thanked the Embassy of the People's Republic of China for helping to facilitate the arrangement.

Ambassador Wei said China was honoured to support Antigua and Barbuda's hosting of CHOGM, noting that her country had also supported the island's hosting of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) and the General Assembly of the Organization of American States.

“We hope that this fleet provided by Geely will make a tangible contribution to Antigua and Barbuda’s successful hosting of the Commonwealth Meeting,” she said.

Representing Geely Motors, Bao thanked the government for its confidence in the company and expressed hope that the arrangement would create further opportunities to expand electric-vehicle options in Antigua and Barbuda.

The donation follows a directive from Greene for his ministry to pursue more sustainable transportation options for the Commonwealth summit.

The partnership was secured through the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda in the United Arab Emirates and coordinated by Deputy Head of Mission Theon Ali, who also serves as the country's Ambassador to Qatar and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic.

Ali worked with the Chinese Embassy in St. John's and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration to bring the arrangement to completion.

Beyond providing additional transportation for official delegations during CHOGM 2026, the 20 vehicles represent a contribution towards the government's broader interest in sustainable and lower-emission transportation.