While the world is working on a sustainable environment, electric vehicles (or EVs) are becoming a trend, and Kenya is not left behind. These vehicles are the solution to climate change and global warming effects. The world’s major automotive countries-China, the United States, and the European Union-are hoping to sell only electric vehicles by 2035.
In March, BasiGo became the first start-up company to launch a 5 million electric bus in Kenya. The 25-seater bus can go 250 km on one charge. The buses are locally assembled using BYD Automotive spare parts.
“We selected BYD because they are the largest manufacturers of electric buses globally and are known for battery technology that is state-of-the-art.” Said BasiGo co-founder and CEO Jit Bhattacharya about the China dialogue.
Roam Motors, a Swedish-Kenyan company, also launched a bus in August 2022. The bus has a capacity of 90 passengers. It has a 384-kWh battery pack that can go for 360 km.
Why electric vehicles in Kenya
The major source of air pollution is fossil fuel emissions, followed by greenhouse gas emissions. The transport sector contributes to 13% of total emissions. Reducing air pollution will help keep respiratory health diseases at bay and reduce premature deaths. It will also solve the climate change effects.
Noise is another thing. Electric vehicles produce little to no sound at all. Nairobi, Kenya, is known for its traffic congestion, ranked second in the world. All the more reason why electric vehicles have to come quickly to our roads.
Kenya’s power plants and electric vehicles
When we talk about EVs, the environmental effects of the gases they produce cling to our minds. Is Kenya ready for clean energy? Most of the energy produced today is 90% renewable energy. It’s generated from geothermal, solar power, hydropower, and wind. One of Kenya’s Vision 2030 goals is to achieve 100% clean energy.
Geothermal energy accounts for 40% of the power used in the country. As of 2020, Kenya was the largest geothermal energy producer in Africa, with 672 megawatts. This gas is cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
The Kenyan installed electricity capacity stands at 3077 MW and 1100 MW during the peak hours. This means that Kenya can support the entire e-mobility Geoffrey Muli, acting managing director of Kenya Power, confirmed this.He further said that they could charge 50,000 buses and two million motorcycles during off-peak hours.
Don’t forget the government policies
The Kenyan government is at the forefront of supporting the use of EVs. In 2020, it launched the Kenya National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, which first came up with the idea of EVs on Kenyan roads. There are also fiscal policies for EVs with a plan to zero-rate electric vehicle tax. Rwanda has already achieved that. The Nairobi Metropolitan Bus Rapid Transit was modeled specifically for EV buses. Kenya Power and KenGen are building a network of public EV charging points. By December, there will be charging points in Nairobi and later in different parts of Kenya.
Other countries in Africa with electric vehicles
Mckinsey, in its report “Power to move: Accelerating the electric transport transition in sub-Saharan Africa,” pinpoints some of the challenges that e-mobility faces. It mentions unreliable power supply, low vehicle affordability, and the dominance of used vehicles. However, African countries are trying to improve access to power supplies. South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Ethiopia have urban electricity access of above 70% and some more than 90%.
South Africa is leading in the adoption of EVs in Africa. Rwanda and Uganda have already introduced a zero tax on cars.
According to Kenya Power, there are about 1000 electric vehicles on Kenyan roads. According to Naamsa, South Africa’s automotive council, there are 2,139 electric vehicles on their roads and 3,353 in Morocco, according to the media. The numbers are low compared to the total number of vehicles on the three countries’ roads, but it’s a big stride.
Final thoughts
Kenya Power is on track to construct an e-mobility network infrastructure system(enis). The move attracts bidders to the project. Kenya’s clean energy transport is growing in the emerging markets; that is a fact.
main photo: "Africa on the Move or Transport" https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Traffic_in_Nairobi.jpg#/media/File:Traffic_in_Nairobi.jpg
