- He revealed that the country has close to 5000 electric mobility vehicles and motorcycles.
- The new e-mobility tariff has been set at Sh16 for energy consumption up to 15,000 kWh during peak periods and Sh8 per kWh during off-peak periods.
Image: HANDOUT
Researchers are working on ways to increase the distance covered by a single charge of electric vehicles from 200 kilometres to 500 kilometres in the country's quest to increase e-mobility.
These are some of the challenges that will be addressed at the third edition of Africa e-Mobility Week 2024 in Nairobi starting Thursday.
According to e-Mobility Alliance CEO Warren Ondenje, the forum brings together policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, investors, and the public to engage and explore innovative solutions and highlight the continent’s role in driving the future of sustainable transport.
Speaking on Wednesday ahead of the event, Stephen Nzioka, director of Renewable Energy, at the Energy Ministry termed infrastructure as a huge challenge in the adoption of e-mobility.
"This is due to inadequate charging infrastructure and the capital cost of setting up charging infrastructure is very high,'' Nzioka said.
Although there have been challenges, especially in terms of the distance an electric vehicle or motorbike can cover per charge, Nzioka said that new improvements are being made every day and the country's e-mobility policy will birth more solutions.
The draft national e-mobility policy for 2024 seeks to promote local manufacturing and assembly of Electric Vehicles and develop and enhance e-mobility infrastructural and technical capacity, among others.
He said that the government is fully committed to the e-mobility agenda, giving examples of the recently introduced special tariffs for e-vehicles by the energy regulator.
The new e-mobility tariff has been set at Sh16 for energy consumption up to 15,000 kWh during peak periods and Sh8 per kWh during off-peak periods, also up to 15,000 kWh.
The Sh16 works out to 12 US cents/kWh at the current exchange rate. This is before taxes and other charges are added to the final cost the consumers will pay.
This also means the tariff under the TOU programme will be just 6 US cents/kWh.
This is lower than the general domestic tariff, which is Sh20.97 per kWh for consumption above 100 kWh, and the small commercial tariff, which has been set at Sh20.18 shillings/kWh for consumption above 100 kWh.
He revealed that the country has close to 5000 electric mobility vehicles and motorcycles in the country, adding that the policy will be in place by the end of the year.
Michael Muchiri, head of the Secretariat, National Electric Mobility Taskforce said that political goodwill is crucial in promoting eMobility, as demonstrated by Ethiopia’s bold decision to ban certain fossil fuel vehicle imports, despite opposition from diplomats.
"This policy shift, while disruptive, shows that firm government action can lead to long-term benefits."
According to him, reducing the capital cost of EVs and enhancing financing options will empower consumers to prioritise utility over price.
"Coupled with local manufacturing capacity improvements and data-driven policies, Africa can lead in eMobility and create job opportunities for youth while promoting environmental sustainability,'' Muchiri said.