How Uganda is switching to e-mobility

DW (English)

Ugandans are increasingly turning to electric vehicles because of air pollution, especially in cities like Kampala.

Transcript

00:00Emissions and noise from motor vehicles have been a growing burden in recent years for

00:06both residents and the environment in Kampala.

00:09According to the UN, the city has one of the worst levels of air pollution in Africa, a

00:16situation that the government wants to change with a campaign to phase out gasoline-powered

00:20vehicles in favour of electronic alternatives from e-bicycles to e-buses.

00:28We see that Kampala is choking on air pollution and bicycles are something that can address

00:33that.

00:34It helps in that way whereby the environment is safe, the city is clean, people's health

00:40is also good.

00:41Uganda has developed a national e-mobility strategy and we are targeting to transition

00:46the entire public transport by 2030.

00:50The government's primary investment is its own car manufacturer, Kiira Motors, a joint

00:55venture with Makerere University.

00:58The electricity for charging the EV batteries is supplied from hydroelectric power.

01:03The state-owned company already has 27 e-buses in operation.

01:09Private companies can also have potential customers and also in the tourism sector.

01:15So we are working closely especially with the Taxi Owners Federation in Kampala which

01:21has predominantly been a consumer of 14-seater vans or matatus to transition them to larger

01:27capacity full electric buses.

01:29And this is with the strong support of government which is a priority that we transition from

01:34lower capacity to higher capacity.

01:37Currently however, the buses have primarily served the state institutions such as Uganda

01:41Airlines and Civil Aviation Authority rather than the public transport networks, a shame

01:47says those who have been on board one.

01:51This bus is very comfortable.

01:53You don't feel any vibration, you don't feel any smoke.

01:56The AC is fantastic and you know the design itself.

02:01We are yearning that this bus if it can reach Northern Uganda.

02:04I think we are going to have the safest mode of transport experienced by the people of

02:09Uganda so far.

02:12A lot of taxis and buses here are old and neither environmentally friendly nor especially

02:18safe.

02:19Michael Wonyama has founded an organisation that tackles both road safety and health problems

02:23linked to traffic.

02:25His work involves regular checks on vehicles, road worthiness and their emissions and sharing

02:30the data with the authorities.

02:34When we have this data, government can look into it, setting the policies and regulations

02:40and maybe create incentives that can help people acquire electric vehicles at affordable

02:47rates.

02:48Another thing, we as a technical research institution, we are also having a pilot on

02:55converting some of these vehicles to electric.

02:59An option that could end up cheaper than buying a new vehicle.

03:02An electric commuter taxi costs just under 140 million Ugandan shillings or 35,000 euros

03:09and affordable for many small scale cab operators.

03:12Jafari Abuyi works for the one that introduced the first e-taxi vans in Kampala and sings

03:19its praises.

03:20If you are driving from here to, let's say from here to Jinja or Iganga, in an ordinary

03:28taxi that uses gasoline, you will need 50 dollars.

03:33It will have to drive you up to Jinja or Iganga and back, but for this you will need

03:39only 10 dollars.

03:41So it's so friendly for a price, so it helps the community a lot and people would save

03:47a lot on it.

03:50One charge is good for 250 to 300 kilometers.

03:54Abuyi also pays regular visits to bus stations to demonstrate how the e-cab is charged.

04:00There is a lot of interest.

04:05Why I like it?

04:06It is electric.

04:08It doesn't consume fuel.

04:10Secondly, it's more profitable than the gasoline car.

04:15But with the state still imposing an import tax on EVs, for many drivers they are not

04:21an option.

04:22While the levy had been temporarily suspended, it was reintroduced to protect the country's

04:28own electric models.

04:30Unfortunately, these are even expensive, with the electric bus costing up to the equivalent

04:35of 270,000 euros.

04:38And the import tax is also affecting e-bicycle sales.

04:42Hakimi Owinyi is a passionate cyclist and conservationist and works at the EB, an e-bicycle

04:49supplier founded in Kenya that has last-mile delivery services.

04:54He came across the company by chance through his cycling-related advocacy.

04:57They sent me a bike to show a course and different people came in, media houses, different leaders

05:07came in to amplify that course.

05:09So my course was like, how can we attain climate action?

05:14How does it look in practice from the individual standpoint, but also from the institutional

05:19standpoint?

05:21It will take a lot more activists and investment for Uganda to make a significant switch to

05:26e-mobility.

05:27But a start has been made, even if it still be a long road ahead.

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