Afrik 21 is a wealthy supply of reports about African EV uptake and the progress of renewable vitality within the many international locations of Africa. Writer Benoit-Ivan Wansi has filed the articles beneath. I’ve additionally contacted a number of the firms beneath for pictures and extra feedback. I encourage you to subscribe to the Afrik 21 e mail record if you’re in search of information from the plush continent. Here’s a style (you might need to get a map out):
Kenya — Electrical Motorbikes (boda bodas)
The electrical mobility market is clearly reserving in Kenya, with one more story emanating from this African nation. “The French-Kenyan expertise start-up Stima has signed a partnership with the monetary firm Mogo and the Estonian mobility firm Bolt to develop new options for electrical motorbikes within the capital Nairobi.” Stima specialises in battery swapping expertise for its “one electrical” bikes. Mogo will finance drivers to buy their very own bikes via weekly installments. Bolt operates an digital supply platform referred to as “Bolt Meals” which permits cost for supply of products and providers.
Stima One electrical bike. Picture courtesy of Stima.
“In response to Stima, the initiative will ‘assist the transition to inexperienced mobility for sustainable cities’ and keep away from 90% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Kenya in comparison with thermal automobiles.”
Stima launch. Picture courtesy of Stima.
“After working in a number of African markets for over a yr, testing the merchandise with Stima in Nairobi, assessing native circumstances and using habits, we have been in a position to produce a motorcycle that may meet regional demand with a steel physique, the high-powered motor and long-life batteries,” mentioned Gaurav Uppal, CEO of One Electrical which is working with Stima to deploy 3000 motorbikes in Kenya.
Kenya, South Africa, Togo, & Tunisia
In Kenya, US enterprise capital agency Untapped Global is launching a $20 million financing facility to assist fight the vitality disaster and keep away from 240 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2025 by funding electrical mobility.
“Local weather Motion Initiative. That is the identify of the brand new platform created by the US-based funding firm Untapped World for the event of electrical mobility in Africa. Energetic in Africa via its places of work in Nairobi, Kenya, and Cape City, South Africa, the Californian firm has invested 20 million {dollars} on this financing facility, which can allow it to ‘improve the rental and distribution of electrical automobiles via innovation and asset financing’ in these African international locations.”
Untapped World plans to help the deployment of 10,000 environmentally pleasant automobiles in cities experiencing excessive inhabitants development and attendant air air pollution. “The Local weather Motion Initiative will likely be progressively fed by different companions, notably from the vitality and finance sectors.”
“The Consortium managed by Untapped World will incorporate three key parts, together with a longtime community of auto leasing firms with a confirmed skill to cost-effectively deploy and handle hundreds of automobiles in lots of areas. The opposite element will likely be financing to show the upfront capital prices of electrical automobiles into inexpensive ongoing funds that make the price of electrical automobiles decrease than that of gasoline-powered automobiles,” says the corporate led by Jim Chu.
US consultancy McKinsey factors out that sustainable mobility in Africa will scale back complete greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions on the continent by as much as 10%, significantly in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa, which account for “about 70% of annual automobile gross sales in sub-Saharan Africa and 45% of the area’s inhabitants.”
Previously two years, the Togo and Tunisia governments have launched tax exemptions for the import of electrical automobiles.
Kenya and Past — “Shujaa” electric bicycles
The State Secretariat for Financial Affairs (SECO) of the Swiss Confederation is lending 500,000 Swiss francs (498,000 euros) to eWaka to roll out its “Shujaa” electrical bicycles in a number of African international locations.
eWaka entered the EV market in 2022. It initially specialised in expertise options, monitoring automobiles in Nairobi in actual time. “We hope that eWaka will likely be a profitable instance for environment friendly and climate-friendly mobility techniques in African cities,” says the Swiss State Secretariat for Financial Affairs (SECO).
eWaka bike picture courtesy of eWaka
eWaka assembles its electrical bikes, often called “Shujaa,” in Nairobi. They’re utilized by supply firms and healthcare suppliers, in addition to lodges and faculties, notably in Cairo, Egypt; Rabat, Morocco; and Nairobi, Kenya.
“Our bike is provided with a entrance and rear rack that may carry a great deal of 65 kilograms. It’s outfitted with sensible mobility software program and two batteries for a complete vary of 120 kilometres. For 2023, eWaka will subsequently proceed its strategic partnerships to supply versatile rental choices, subscription and buy plans to satisfy every day commuting, private well-being, and net-zero objectives,” says the corporate led by Céleste Vogel.
eWaka additionally intends to make use of the Swiss funds to supply off-grid photo voltaic techniques for recharging the bikes. This additional reduces air air pollution.
Electrical Buses for Kenya
BasiGo has accepted the problem of Africa’s mobility wants and need for clear transport. In response to its web site, “Africa can have 10 cities with a inhabitants over 10 million folks by 2025. This rising inhabitants requires a rising mobility community to serve it.”
Latest funding from a consortium of buyers has raised $6.6 million that BasiGo will use to import and ship K6 electrical buses from BYD (Constructing Your Goals). In time, these will change the polluting diesel buses in Africa’s teeming cities. The funding will even be used to broaden the East African quick charging community and the meeting of electrical buses.
The K6 is a 25-seat, 100% electrical bus with 250 km of vary and a recharge time of lower than four hours. The K6 guarantees: freedom from diesel, improved reliability, premium passenger expertise, and complete monitoring; all at an inexpensive complete price. East Africa has an abundance of unpolluted, inexpensive electrical energy. Kenya produces most of its energy from hydro, geothermal, photo voltaic and wind.
“Changing a diesel bus in East Africa with an electrical bus would have higher impression than virtually wherever else on this planet. An electrical bus in East Africa would additionally price house owners much less to function. Now we have a possibility to make East Africa a worldwide chief in clear, inexpensive electrical bus transit. electrical bus transit,” BasiGo says.
“We’re honoured to affix this group of buyers to cease the local weather disaster and construct a extra sustainable future via finance and innovation. With over 90% of Kenya’s electrical energy coming from renewable vitality, BasiGo’s electrical buses will remodel public transport in East Africa and considerably scale back carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on the roads,” says Jit Bhattacharya, BasiGo’s CEO.
Benoit-Ivan additionally mentions Ampersand, whose electrical motorbikes are already on the highway in Nairobi and Kigali, Rwanda. There may be additionally Zembo, based mostly in Kampala, Uganda. Zembo is transferring ahead with the meeting of its electrical motorbikes utilizing photo voltaic house techniques, with a watch on the regional electrical automobile market.
It’s encouraging to learn of the entire exercise in numerous African international locations aimed toward lowering the progress of worldwide warming. I might encourage my readers to observe Afrik 21 and to take a broader view of the local weather disaster. We within the West can’t clear up the issue alone.
