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Don't know all the answers except that EVs do not need to have their cells replaced every 5-7 years. If anyone tells you that, they need to get more information. Most EVs have a battery warranty that lasts for years.

@Tookays you are correct.

Further research shows the following:

“Most manufacturers have a five to eight-year warranty on their battery. However, the current prediction is that an electric car battery will last from 10 – 20 years and 200 000 to 300 000 km before they need to be replaced.“

So in Mauritian context: not many Hybrids (HEV) and probably none of the full electric cars (BEV) sold here have reached the mileage for the lithium cells to be replaced, so no one knows:

1. whether any workshop in MU is equipped to carry out such replacement ?
2. how long it will take to order such replacement cells (as no one most probably keeps stock of these in MU) ?
3. whether the Cost of such a replacement would be so exorbitant that the car is relegated to the junk heap ?

Thought I saw a Tesla on the road. 

I believe that only the Tesla battery pack uses Li-Ion cells that can theoretically be replaced. All other vendors use custom battery pack.

Yes, the typical warranty for Tesla is 8 years and the battery pack replacement is covered if the max battery charge drops below 70% of max charge.... Need to read the exact fine print.

I know about the Tesla battery recycling plan... I have the Tesla powerwall and this uses the same cells as the car.... Hence it is very possible to recycle the car battery cells in the battery storage.

In terms of cost of battery replacement - the battery typically accounts for 40 - 60% of the price of the car.  The life of the batteries will depend on usage but it is not unreasonable to keep the car for 10 - 20 years.  The only drawback is that the range on a full charge will decrease over time.  Given that Mauritius is not a big country, I think that the worst case is that you need to recharge every night to meet your daily commute distance.  I estimate that if your daily commute distance is in the order of 60 km, if you start with an original full charge range of 350 km and assume a degradation of 30% every 8 years, I think that you can easily last 20 years.

I just love BEV as it is so much easier to maintain.  Even easier than the other HEV that I have.

If you are looking for a biz opportunity to do battery recycling - that's an interesting business model discussion but I think that there is no standardized way to swap / replace batteries.  The industry is not mature yet for that.

It may be possible to have a business to do the replacement in Mauritius but this will involve a lot of expensive special tooling as working with Li-Ion is extremely hazardous.

Bottomline - buy the BEV with the maximum range that you can get and it will last you a long time  - and even will hold its value longer.

@Pablo888 so far I have seen 3 Tesla cars in Mauritius. One old Model S, one model 3, and one Model X. I think there was one dealer importing Tesla cars into Mauritius, but I am not sure.

If I had the money, I would invest in solar panels and battery storage, and a BEV. Tesla prices are at the upper end, so any of the affordable BEVs are good value. It is difficult to drive more than 300 kms non-stop in Mauritius.

I think that the issue of BEV / HEV tax break will only appeal to a special interest group only.

Looking at the macro-economic requirements of having BEV mass deployment or even plug-in HEV, the electric infrastructure will be under considerable strain if vehicle electrification is highly encouraged.  I am sure that the CEB is currently not providing green electricity and will at best be providing grey electricity.  Since electricity rates are subsidized, if people start using a lot of electricity to charge vehicles there will be a severe shortage - and this will lead to the usual protests etc.

Solar panels, home storage, and BEV's will stay in the realm of the rich in Mauritius until more green investments in electricity generation has been made.  Since Mauritius cannot export unused power, dependence on solar panels / batteries is not sufficient.  What is missing is more wind power - which can generate power even at night.

However, since the CEB is a monopoly, those investments can only be made by the government and those infrastructure investments will need to be substantial.

In conclusion, owning a BEV / HEV is something worthwhile for the environmentally conscious but I will not expect adoption by the masses in Mauritius.

If I had a recommendation for the policy makers, I would replace that personal vehicle tax break with a business van / bus tax break.  It would make more sense to replace all the gas guzzling transportation vans and buses with cleaner hydrogen fuel cell or BEV versions.  Imagine - no more busses spewing black exhaust.... But I digress here as this suggestion may be too progressive....

Tesla prices are at the upper end,
    -@Tookays

Interesting discussion on how, with the right incentives, and supply, a Tesla Model 3 achieves price - value parity with a Toyota Corolla.

@Pablo888 it is the subsidy that does it, mainly in the USA. If I could plug in a car, I would love to have a Tesla in Mauritius. Only seen 3 so far recently.