Is electric mobility the future of transport?
July 27, 2022 1351 views 92 comments 1 minute reading timeCities across the world are rolling out innovative transport methods to reduce emissions and adapt to rising populations. In Africa, electric mobility (e-mobility) is proving to be a successful intervention – from Rwanda’s shift to e-motorcycles and the steady rise of electric boda bodas in Uganda, to the recent launch of Kenya’s first electric passenger buses.
Rapid urbanization is increasing demands on public transportation, which is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels. To make Africa’s transport systems sustainable and stave off the adverse effects of climate change, private and public institutions are channeling resources towards electric mobility. While financing and reliable charging infrastructure can prove a challenge to wide-scale electrification, many have begun offering a lease-to-own model to drivers and a pay-go system where they can swap used batteries for already charged ones.
We spoke to Jit Bhattacharya, CEO and co-founder of BasiGo, and Jane Akumu, Programme Officer of the Sustainable Mobility Unit at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), about the path to achieving electric mobility in Africa.
What role will electric mobility play in Africa’s transport systems in the future? Share your thoughts below!