ELECTRIC DREAMS;THE RISING TIDE OF ELECTRIC CARS IN KENYA                                       

Kenya is still making clear strides on revolutionizing  it’s transport system by a step by step shape shifting process from the traditional fossil fuel powered vehicles, to the modern electric powered vehicles.

In recent months, the fuel prices have sky rocketed prompting  many commercial and private vehicle owners to turn their focus from the diesel and petrol powered vehicles to electric vehicles.

Though making 0.1% of ownership in the country ,in recent days, electric vehicles in Kenya have been a tide that is slowly spiraling to a Tsunami that will probably counter balance or overtake the fossil fuel powered vehicles.

According to  NTSA data, the  number of registered electrical vehicles in Kenya is 671 in which;324 are motorcycles, 105 are three wheelers and 138 are motor vehicles.

Kenyan public transport in recent days has made drastic efforts where commercial vehicle owners are partnering with non-governmental companies who are helping them in slowly embracing the modern culture of electric commercial buses.

According to CNN,BASIGO, a company that has  partnered with Matatu operators in Nairobi and electric car making company BYD which is China based, became the first company to set in motion the first electric buses in Kenya.

 On March 2022, BASIGO imported two 25 seat buses from BYD and put them on a trial program on a fixed Dandora route which later showed the potential of the vehicles. BASIGO CEO Jit Bhattacharya who said that as of February 2023, the two buses had carried a total of 175,000 passengers and had driven over 135000 KM with less than 2 days of technical halt which he recognized as remarkable.

According to BASIGO, they are set to supply over 1000 electric vehicles in Kenya by the next 3 years .Their intentions are clearly demonstrated since they have already started supplying their 26 passenger BYD K6  buses to some of the top commercial bus companies such as city hoppa, Metro trans, super metro among others and giving Matatu operators the ‘pay as you earn scheme’ advantage.

The nation national government has also shown it’s endeavour to boost the electric car ownership in Kenya, where in 2019 the national treasury reduced the excise duty to 10% from 100%  and the income duty imposed on EVs from 35% to 25%.

The President has also led in the efforts to transform the transport system.

In a speech he released during the Madaraka day celebration in Embu on first June 2023,President William Ruto promised bodaboda operators that they were soon going to experience the modern electric bodabodas which he said were going to be more clean, efficient and affordable and in return would be more profitable .

Apart from the fossil fuel price rise, electrical vehicles culture initiation in Kenya is one of the key ways Kenya is imposing to reach the 2030 target of making Kenya a carbon zero country.

 

Traffic congestion is one of the gigundous key contributors to the climate change crisis due to the emission of greenhouse gases such as Carbon dioxide(Co2), nitrous oxide (N2o) and ozone (O3).

In large cities such as Nairobi which are exceptionally growing, traffic congestion is one of the most muddling problems which is brought about by  poor  planning.

Increase of fossil fueled motors in the city has over the years shown an ascending emission of environmentally toxic gases in the air.

According Scielo, a study carried out by 3 universities; university of Nairobi, Stockholm Environment Institute, South Eastern Kenya University and United Nations Environment program, showed that private cars dominate over other cars by contributing to 73% of the total CO2 emission in Nairobi with a total of 25.3 million grams of carbon dioxide between 2014-2019.Matatus having 6.89 million emission, light commercial vehicles having 1.82 million, heavy goods vehicles 251,683 and motorcycles at 181,054 emission of gCO2e.

According to Statista, Kenya’s  total amount of carbon(CO2) emission has increased over the years from 6.6 million metric tones in 2000 to 16.1 million metric tones of CO2 emission as of 2020, in which motors which are fossil fueled are one of the largest key contributors.

Electric vehicles have been recognized as the solution to this and step by step on the 2030 road to a carbon zero nation, Kenya is aiming still aiming to draw closer to the ultimate fulfillment.

Unlike diesel and petrol powered vehicles, electric powered vehicles have no exhaust pipes thus giving 100% guarantee of CO2 non emission.

Investors have made huge steps in the country by launching Kenyan based companies which are specifically targeting in making and expanding the embracement of electric cars. some of these companies include Opibus, Nopea Ride, Kiri among others. These companies offer a wide range of electric car services such as charging systems installation, E-mobility consultancy, electric vehicle leasing, fleet analysis among other services.

In the near future, electric cars in Kenya will not only help Kenya achieving it’s target of becoming a carbon free country, but will also be a potential booster in the economic and health flourishment.

 According to Dr Jeremiah Kiplagat a director at the institute of energy, in May 2023 reported that electric car charging prices in charging stations were reduced from 27 per unit to 17 per unit. This is much more affordable compared to the fossil fuels where petrol price per litre is going for Kshs 179.3 while diesel is ksh 162.

Electric cars are also run by lithium ion batteries which are long lasting and can hold power for long. These batteries can also by the end of the day be recycled thus assuring their environmental friendliness nature.

According to analysis by NRDC, electric cars cost half as much to maintain and repair as the gas powered vehicles which shows their great cost effectiveness.

In return this affordability characteristic of the electric cars will boost the economic growth since many people in the country will use less transport cost in transporting their goods and services to various destination of the country.

Health wise, electric vehicles have a great advantage since according to UPI, studies show that in places like California, neighborhoods with the highest ownership of electric motor vehicles have experienced a drastic decrease in respiratory disorders such as Asthma due to the low amount of nitrogen oxide gas which is one of the gases produced by fossil fueled car’s exhaust pipes. This is solid evidence on how Kenya can be free from respiratory diseases especially on children who are the most vulnerable to respiratory related diseases.

671 electric vehicles is just a drop in the ocean compared to other African countries which have already taken huge steps in the electric vehicles culture acceptance. Countries like Tanzania which holds the highest fleet of electric vehicles in East Africa, have over 5000 of them. Though a stagnated number electric vehicle population in Tanzania is known to be one of the largest in Africa racing against other more developed countries like South Africa.

Globally, the carbon zero campaign has led to many developed countries seriously adopting the electric vehicle movement.

Emergence of global electric vehicles companies such as Tesla ,General motors, Rivan, Lucid motors among others has encouraged mass production of electric vehicles with some companies such as Tesla delivering up to more than one million units of the EVs globally.

According to the world economic Forum, China, European Union and the United States are some of the nations that are covering the largest ownership of electric vehicles.

In China, every 4 cars bought in 2022 was an EV, in the European Union every one in 5 cars purchased was an EV and in the US 1 in every 10 cars purchased was an EV.

Nations such as Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Finland are among some of the most competitive countries globally in the purchasing power race of the electric vehicles.

 According to an article released by Forbes back in June 19,2021,it recognized Norway as the highest selling per capita country with 20 cars purchased for every 1000 people rivaling mega country giants like the United States. It by far thrashed the US as it accounted for 60% of newly sold EVs compared to the 2% newly sold in the US.

Developed countries  are also laboriously supporting developing countries in introducing the electric vehicles culture by investing in those countries and setting up Electric Vehicles motor companies as it is the case with companies such as Opibus in Kenya which is Swedish owned and BYD which has it’s roots in China.