Piloting sustainable mobility solutions in sub-Saharan Africa

In Ghana, the transition towards e-mobility became a national agenda as the transport sector accounts for 47.7% of energy-related emissions. Ghana’s Ministry of Transportation presented Ghana’s Electric Mobility Roadmap (2022-2035) in combination with a national e-mobility policy framework in July 2022. Additionally, the Renewable Energy Master Plan of 2019 targets universal access to energy for all in 2025 (2019: 86%). One of the latest announcement of the government of Ghana sees a drop of import duties on electric vehicles starting in 2024.   

According to the World Bank, about half of Ghana’s vehicle fleet is cars (47.3%), followed by buses (37.6%), three-wheelers (9.8%), and two-wheelers (5.3%). Looking at vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) in 2022, 2- and 3-wheelers account for 44%, followed by cars (38%) and buses (18%). 

Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) targets 10% biofuel blends by 2030 and complete adoption of electric vehicles by 2060. The removal of fuel subsidies aims to bolster the electric mobility sector as government and private initiatives work to promote EVs and charging infrastructure for a sustainable future. A transition toward electric mobility could have a huge impact on Nigeria’s and Africa’s carbon footprints as the transport sector accounts for around 24% of total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Nigeria. Nigeria is the 4th biggest GHG emitter in Africa.    

The vehicle fleet in Nigeria is quite mixed, though slightly over half is cars (51.8%), followed by buses (26.6%), and two-wheelers (21.7%). While the e-mobility ecosystem is still nascent with 15 players, Nigeria is witnessing a surge in startups across all vehicle segments (World Bank 2022).

In Uganda, motorized transport is responsible for 24% of direct CO2 emissions (from fuel combustion). Road vehicles – including cars, trucks, buses, and two- and three-wheelers – account for nearly three-quarters of transport CO2 emissions. Given that over 90% of Uganda’s electricity is derived from renewable energy sources, the electrification of transport will have a particularly favorable ecological impact. The e-mobility ecosystem, however, is nascent and diverse, but interest in the industry is advancing quickly. The government of Uganda has also acknowledged the potential of e-mobility and promotes the adaption of electric vehicles through all segments (Boda Bodas, buses, cars).  

Looking into Uganda’s ICE vehicle fleet, 2- and 3-wheelers account for the biggest share, with a total number of 1,143,000 vehicles (83.6%), followed by 200,000 4-wheelers (14.6%) and 25,000 buses (1.8%). (World Bank 2022) 

In March 2023, Tanzania hosted the first E-Mobility Forum in Dar es Salaam, supporting sustainable and electric urban mobility within the country. Since the vehicle count in Tanzania has quadrupled, notably with two- and three-wheelers reaching 1.2 million in 2016 and the transport sector accounting as the second largest polluter within the country, the transition toward e-mobility holds huge potential to decrease carbon emissions. Surpassing 5,000 electric vehicles, Tanzania hosts more EVs than the entire East African region combined. 

The Tanzanian market remains appealing due to its size and limited competition. With over two million vehicles and a handful of young companies vying to shift toward e-mobility, Tanzania presents an enticing landscape for growth.