Electromobility: a new way of getting around

In Nairobi in Kenya, a new way of delivering products to street vendors serving in poor districts is demonstrating a transport future that could benefit us all.

Electromobility, that is, vehicles powered by electricity, is currently a niche market in Africa. Solar E-Cycles is a company that has developed the e-bike. This is a solar-powered bike with a battery that is charged as the bike's rider goes about their day. A full battery charge on an average day will take you around 60km, while on a really sunny day you could go as far as 100km. E-bikes can reach speeds of up to 40kph, even when carrying a heavy load. And because of the solar panel on the roof of the bike, its rider is also protected from the rain. Kwanza Tukule Foods have embraced the use of the e-bike to get deliveries to its customers in the most sustainable and affordable way. With increased efficiency by using clean energy there are no fuel costs to the company, which is one factor in keeping their prices low.

Given how rapidly the population is expanding across the African continent, and that the sector most responsible for pollution is transport, there needs to be new ways for people to get around that aren't harmful to the environment. Petrol and diesel use is on the increase to cope with the transport demand, worsening things like carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution. Around 80 percent of the electricity generated in Africa is through renewables, like solar, wind, and geothermal. It makes sense for the transport industry to turn to clean energy sources to help reduce pollution and emissions, so why doesn't it?

We live in an increasingly environmentally conscious world. The potential is there in Africa for cleaner transport. Yet there are only around 300 electric mopeds in use in the Kenyan capital alone. And despite interest in electric cars, there aren't enough charging stations for people to get the electricity they need. Couple this with how long the batteries can last, and you can see why electromobility might be the better environmental choice but isn't necessarily a practical one. Electric cars, for example, are great around the city over short distances, but out in more rural areas could run into trouble for having no way to recharge. Would we risk 'breaking down' in the middle of nowhere in our electric cars when there is a less clean, though more reliable alternative like petrol, when we have a lot of errands to run? Probably not! The infrastructure currently doesn't encourage renewable energy sources for transport, and until it does, it will be hard for electromobility to go mainstream.