Uptake in EVs is quietly accelerating across Africa’s transport systems. During the last year alone, for instance, companies such as BasiGo and Roam in Kenya have launched in various cities. And a Brookings report titled, Accelerating adoption of electric vehicles for sustainable transport in Nairobi, called on local and national governments to promote investment in key infrastructure to support public charging and servicing points; enhance the reliability of supply and distribution of electricity through last-mile power connectivity; increase financing for local electric mobility startups; and provide policy and tax incentives to realize a boom in electrical transportation.
But EV uptake is still in its infancy as its percentage among total numbers of new car sales, for example, barely register. In Kenya specifically, there are estimations of only 350 EVs of the country’s 2.2 million registered automobiles. South Africa had EV sales of 502 units in 2022, while Tanzania is reportedly leading the pack with 5,000 EVs in total.
Being in the early years of electric transportation in the continent, IT leaders are still working through the rudimentary challenges of inadequate infrastructure to charge EVs.
“The greatest technical challenge is the deployment of charging infrastructure in a way that makes electric buses as convenient for operators to use as current diesel buses,” says Jit Bhattacharya, CEO and CTO of BasiGo (pictured).
BasiGo has 15 electric buses operating on four additional routes in Nairobi. This is after it launched in March 2022, with two electric buses. According to Bhattacharya, the two buses have now driven approximately 200,000km, completing over 260,000 passenger journeys.
“Charging infrastructure needs to be located along operator routes, adjacent to reliable, high-voltage power lines, and with adequate space for bus parking,” he says. “Finding the locations and developing charging sites is one of the most critical aspects of our business and one of the key technical challenges to making e-buses work in the market.”
