The Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM) and Basigo have set a target to produce 1000 electric vehicles in the next three years to meet the growing demand in the transport sector.
- By the end of March this year, Basigo electric vehicles had driven 1.5 million kilometres in Kenya carrying 2.1 million passengers over the same period of time and side stepping over 680 tonnes of greenhouse gas emission.
- BasiGo has over 500 orders from bus operators in Nairobi and an additional 100 reservations from bus operators in Kigali, Rwanda.
- Speaking during the launch of a high-volume dedicated assembly line for modern electric buses on Tuesday, Basigo Kenya Managing Director Moses Nderitu said the new pilot plant will pave way for serial production moving from three units to 20 units per month by the end of the year.
Trade and Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano noted that besides creation of 300 quality jobs, the new project will help the ministry achieve target of elevating manufacturing contribution to the economy from current 7.6 per cent to 15 per cent by 2027 and eventually to 20 per cent by the year 2030.
The launch of the new assembly plant comes at a time when the government is aligning policies towards e-mobility as an area to help fight greenhouse emission linked to climate change and its adverse effects.
“Two weeks ago, the government launched draft national mobility policy marking the beginning of journey towards sustainable development and transformation of transport sector,” she noted. “The cornerstone of the policy is establishment of incentives meant to increase uptake of electric vehicles. Through the finance act 2019, the state also reduced excise duty on electric powered vehicles to 10 per cent. Efforts are underway to revise national integrated transport policy to accommodate electric vehicles and requisite infrastructure,” Miano added.
“We have proven that local assembly is viable and impactful. Now, we urge policymakers to create an enabling environment that fosters innovation, job creation, and economic growth. Together, we can chart a brighter future for mobility in Kenya and Africa,” added Moses Nderitu, the BasiGo Kenya Managing Director.
Early this year, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) released guidelines for electric vehicle (EV) charging and battery swapping, effective 1st September.
The guidelines released in January summarise key considerations when designing, installing, and operating electric vehicle charging points and stations. According to EPRA, the purpose of the new rules is to make electric vehicle charging infrastructure accessible to all users, enable faster adoption of electric vehicles in Kenya, promote affordable tariffs chargeable from electric vehicle owners and charging station operators.
“The importation of electric vehicles in the country began about ten years ago and has mainly been driven by the private sector. There has been a slow uptake due to a number of issues,” noted EPRA.
“The new Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging and Battery Swapping Infrastructure Guidelines, 2023 summaries key considerations when setting, designing, installing, and operating electric vehicle charging points and stations.”
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