Association for Electrical Mobility and development in Africa (AEMDA) in partnership with various Electrical Automobiles enthusiasts such as Vehicle and Equipment leasing Limited (VAELL), Go Electric Limited, Utu Cars, EVCHAJA, Tesla car owners, UNEP with support from the Africa E-Mobility Industry Action (AFEMI) among others are set to hold an Electrical Vehicles (EVs) expo this Saturday on the 29th of October 2022 at the Waterfront, Karen Nairobi, during the Africa E-Mobility Week which is currently ongoing. The E-mobility expo is aimed at showcasing the electric automobiles set for the market. This comes after the country’s push for electric vehicles has received a significant boost with the establishment of a solar and electric vehicle charging hubs by various players in the market including the Naivasha headquartered regional leasing firm, VAELL, which set up various solar and electric vehicles charging stations across the country. As part of the event, a new electric vehicle charging station will be launched at the Waterfront Mall, which is one of Nairobi’s prime shopping centers. The exhibition is part of the inaugural Africa E-Mobility Week that started on Tuesday.
According to the organizers, e-Mobility expo will focus on; Electric Vehicle Ownership & Infrastructure, Transitioning to Electric, Importing, Financing and Running your EV as well as deliberations on commercial transport going electric.
Go Electric Limited management said that plans are in the works to build more charging stations in major cities across the country. Since the introduction of electric vehicles, the issue of charging hubs has remained the main barrier, keeping many interested parties at bay however, this is being solved as time goes by following increased efforts by various players like EVChaja and the regional leasing firm VAELL setting up charging ports in preparation of the e-revolution whose time has come as the wind of change blows across the globe doing away with fossil fuels and encouraging green energy consumption to conserve the environment and tame global warming.
It is worth noting that the EVs Exhibition comes on the heels of the government and investors announcing plans to introduce electric bus units for Nairobi’s BRT system.
Speaking in Nairobi while preparing for the expo Eve Maina Director of Corporate Affairs at Go Electric Limited, said, “the company will heavily in invest in various electric and solar automobiles as Kenya prepares to fully go green. We have already set Kes. 2 billion to pump into the purchase of necessary units and install more charging ports across the country. At the same time, we are set to launch 100% solar and electric automobiles dubbed UTU in the country that are specific to the East and Central Africa region. The units are already here for testing before the official launch soon. This will range from saloon cars, buses, motorcycles, Tuk-Tuks and other automobiles on demand. As you can see we have here the 100% Solar & Electric Tuk-Tuks ready for uptake. When you look at them definitely you can confirm that this is a game changer that will save fuel and maintenance costs with a big margin.”
Electric propulsion costs less because electric motors are far more efficient than internal combustion engines (about 90% versus 40%). Electric cars also recoup energy from the spinning wheels when the car is coasting or braking.
According to the statistics done in various countries including the US, it was discovered that by traveling 15,000 miles per year, you would spend, on average, $550 to run the Bolt EV or Model S, versus $2,050 for the Spark. In layman’s terms, if you drive more, you’ll recuperate costs quicker. There are various high-profile EVs in recent past, from the Tesla Model S to the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Chevy Bolt EV. With many models now pushing upwards of the 300-mile range, electric vehicles are looking increasingly more practical. And with gas prices soaring, they also look more economical.
Adding his voice to the ongoing debate Iyadi Iyadi the founder and CEO EVCHAJA, EVs charging stations, also stated that technological breakthroughs in energy storage will make renewable power cheap enough to use in more places and accelerate the move to electric cars and other electric transportation systems.
Image: Jared Rasugu
“If the government and private stakeholders work together to create conducive environment it will encourage uptake in the rural areas. The rules should not only be for government entities setting up EV infrastructure they should also create a public-private partnership framework. This will enable private companies to take part in the development of this infrastructure and promote competition in the market. If we can formulate and implement policies that will support the growth of EVs then we are sure to succeed. The policies ought to support development of EV Infrastructure,” said Managing Director of AEMDA Mr. Warren Ondanje.
Editor’s notes
About Africa e-Mobility Week
The Africa E-mobility Week is an annual event recognizing the milestones, challenges and opportunities in accelerating growth of E-mobility on the continent.
The inaugural event, held in 2022, launched through the Africa E-mobility Industry Action (AFEMI) in collaboration with the Association for Electric Mobility and Development in Africa (AEMDA) will feature online campaigns, webinars and reports which will be developed among others. Following the event and e-mobility exhibition day, a report on Africa’s priorities for E-mobility will also be submitted to the COP27 happening in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to inform investors and government stakeholders across the globe.
The organizers are hosting and exhibition in Karen Waterfront this week bringing together key players such as United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Vehicle and Equipment leasing Limited (VAELL), Go Electric, Utu Cars, EVCHAJA, Tesla car owners among others.
For further details and updates, please contact;
Jared Oundo,
Head of Corporate Communications
Go Electric/UTU Cars,
Cell: +254 719408244/0780408244