EN1 is an emerging Electric Vehicle (EV) startup based in Lagos Nigeria, one of the continent’s most prominent tech cities. The company set out to meet the demand for electricity-powered automobiles and the infrastructure that supports them.
Over the years, countless research conducted across the globe around renewable energy has placed Africa as a primary beneficiary of this new initiative due to the continent’s position on the world map, rightly positioned for receiving maximum sunlight, Africa could power its entire economy, drive its industries, power homes in remote areas all through renewable energy, specifically solar powered, this has presented a unique opportunity for the African continent for the EV market.
In the last decade, demand for EVs has surged, as electric vehicles are the critical technology for decarbonizing road transportation, which accounts for 16% of world emissions. Electric car sales have expanded dramatically in recent years thanks to the better range, more model options, and enhanced performance yet somehow, the African has remained largely underserved with major manufacturers like Tesla and BYD focusing on Asian, European, and US markets.
What are EVs?
Electric vehicles (EVs) are vehicles that are powered by a rechargeable battery rather than a fuel tank and use an electric motor rather than an internal combustion engine. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are a hybrid of a gasoline and an electric car, consisting of a battery, an electric motor, a fuel tank, and an internal combustion engine.
What benefits can EVs bring to Africa?
There is a rising global demand for EVs, especially in well-developed countries. Although still very low, this demand is sure to rise within the African continent, and below are a few reasons why;
- EVs are Environmentally Friendly
The main advantage of electric vehicles is the improvement in air quality they may bring to urban areas. Pure electric vehicles emit no carbon dioxide when driving since they have no exhaust. As a result, air pollution is greatly decreased.
Simply put, electric vehicles make our streets cleaner, improving the quality of life for people in our towns and cities. One electric vehicle on the road may reduce CO2 emissions by an average of 1.5 million grams over the course of a year. That equates to four roundtrip flights from London to Barcelona. - Low Operational Cost
According to a consumer report research on EV expenditures, charging an EV instead of filling up a petrol tank may save owners up to 60%. Although charging an EV is generally less expensive than filling up a gas car, other factors might affect how much you spend. - Maintenance is Relatively Low
Electric automobiles require far less maintenance than gasoline ones. Certain things are eliminated from an all-electric vehicle’s maintenance list since they do not exist in EVs.
Lube replacements, ignition plugs, air filters, fuel filters, tailpipes, mufflers, and carburetors are all excluded, implying that they will require no environmental checks in the future!
What are the problems hindering the mass adoption of EVs in Africa?
One of the core problems with EV adoption in Africa is infrastructure, the continent is largely cut off from the rest of the world in infrastructural development, and countries like the US and China are currently leading in building the much-needed infrastructure required to bring EVs mainstream that’s why most major manufacturers are targeting these regions. This is where EN1 comes in, building EVs that are solar-powered with modular service and charging stations across the continent, beginning with Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation.
How EN1 plans to solve these problems?
EN1 is a tech company that plans to solve the scarcity of electric vehicle problems in Africa by creating a fully autonomous, self-powered electric vehicle platform. The EN1 team came up with this idea after realizing that Africa has been left behind by other countries in terms of adopting new technologies to improve their lives.
According to EN1, they want to bring all African countries into the 21st century through the use of electric vehicles by providing these vehicles and service stations, EN1 hopes to increase mobility by helping people travel farther distances without having to worry about fuel costs or maintenance issues.
The company’s vision is not just limited to Africa; they want to bring more benefits than just transportation. They also plan on building charging stations across the globe so that anyone can travel anywhere at any time.
As an emerging market with an increasingly urban and connected population, Africa is one of the world’s most important EV markets. It could become home to some of the largest electric vehicle manufacturers in the world by 2025.
These two trends, the rise of electric cars and their ability to help drive decarbonization combined with the rapidly growing population in Africa, provide good enough reason to believe that the African market is ready for the massive adoption of EVs.
This post was first published on Charge Africa.
