A new report has it that Kenya is making huge effort to ensure the country’s total switch to electric vehicles for good.
Kenya Power had announced plans to convert 2,000 of its gasoline- and diesel-powered cars and trucks to electric power.
The decision is part of a growing trend in the East African economy to use plentiful renewable energy sources for power and convert motorbike and car engines from fossil fuels to electricity.
The choice fits into a rising trend in the East African economy to switch motorcycle and automobile engines from fossil fuels to electricity and utilise the abundant renewable energy sources for power.
It also is an idea we’ve seen implemented in Algeria. In November 2022, the Algerian administration announced plans to ban diesel-powered cars. The goal is to reduce its carbon emissions and adopt a cleaner energy source. Just recently, the country also announced plans to reduce its usage of fossil fuels, despite being the continent’s fourth-largest oil producer.
Kenya has, therefore, become the most recent nation in Africa to adopt eco-friendly policies. Kenya Power is replacing its gasoline and diesel cars over time with newer models that have electric engines installed aftermarket.
According to Kenya Power, Kenya has an installed generation capacity of 3,321 megawatts (MW), versus peak demand of 2,132 MW and off-peak demand of roughly 1,100 MW.
“Charging electric vehicles especially at night would, therefore, help bridge the gap between off-peak load available generation capacity as well as raise the average demand to above 1,500 MW,” Kenya Power said in a statement.
It was reported that in Nairobi, there was an increase in charging stations for electric vehicles.
As battery charging infrastructure is set up by electric mobility businesses, the vehicles are becoming more popular.
In May 2022, the e-mobility startup Ampersand launched operations in Kenya. There are about 60 customers and seven battery changing stations in the capital.
Ian Mbote, Ampersand’s expansion lead, says this form of transport is a money saver.
“Electric mobility is cheaper. You are saving 45 percent, less. To be exact, fuel right now is around 180 shillings per litre. Our batteries cost 185 shillings to swap a full battery. That gives you about 90 to 110 kilometres. That 180 shillings on fuel gives you about 30 to 40 kilometres on a motorcycle,” he elaborated.
