In March, Amp Electric Vehicles announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with U-Go Stations Cayman to bring its converted all-electric Mercedes-Benz ML to the Caribbean islands. Turns out, the gas-less powertrain is causing some bureaucratic headaches.

In order to allow EVs into the islands, the government needed to pass a law saying so. This law was passed and signed by the governor last November, Amp’s Marty Rucidlo told AutoblogGreen. But, when John Felder, a local car dealer, went to the Grand Cayman Department of Vehicle and Drivers Licensing to get the car approved, he was told that registration would not be possible. According to Caymanian Compass, the problem is that the new law has not yet been given a date when it goes into effect because specific regulations are still being drafted.

Rucidlo told us that these regulations are not specific to EVs (they relate to things like putting boots on improperly parked cars, using cell phones while driving). To help promote the car, he went to the islands over Memorial Day with an MLe that had been in Miami and met people who were interested in buying the electric SUV. He said that the dealer currently has six orders for the car. Last year, Felder was able to get government approval for a Chevrolet Volt, and the ministry issued a statement saying the the new law’s regulations “will be brought into effect very shortly.”

“We were well aware what we were stepping into with this,” Rucidlo said. “We wanted to give them a hand.”

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