With the rise in climate change concerns, the automotive industry is on the road to change from the century’s tradition of utilizing vehicles powered by internal combustion engines (ICE) to a greener option of electric vehicles (EVs); the latter are powered by battery and fuel cell technologies. This transition is expected to be rapid in developed nations, while in developing nations, policy support and infrastructure setup need time and awareness. Support from governments is critical to create aware and interested consumers toward this new technology. However, many countries lack a long-term plan to set up proper infrastructure that can support a successful transition to EVs.
Sufficient local infrastructure setup is paramount for mass adoption of EVs; that includes battery systems, charging stations, and aftersales services. Efforts should be made to recycle used lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and set up management systems that are affordable for the consumers of the Big-3 markets at the initial stages. Growing interest to own EVs will bring in investments, financial returns, and growth to the economies of African countries. Aside from producing affordable EVs, charging stations need to be set up in every city across the continent, along with testing measures for better understanding and optimization of the product. Proper management policies should be studied, set up and enforced by the respective governments in collaboration with organizations in the business.
Currently, Africa is struggling with the basic requirements of power across regions, and many countries still rely on gasoline and diesel as the principal fuel in automotive vehicles. The absence of successful EV penetration on the continent should not excuse the fact that countries need to start working toward a greener future for transport that could also trickle down to consumers. Upcoming mega projects such as Africa’s Great Green Wall and Goal 7.2 of the United Nations will highlight the efforts needed to mitigate climate change, but the clear answer from countries should come through an extensive clean transport policy as an immediate response.
