Ghana, Morocco, Tanzania Lead Electric Vehicle Adoption in Africa, Nigeria Missing
- As urban populations grow and fuel prices rise, electric vehicles (EVs) offer a cleaner and cost-effective alternative across Africa, with growing popularity due to increased investment, tax incentives, and improved infrastructure
- Numerous African nations, including Ethiopia, Benin, Kenya, South Africa, and Morocco, are adopting EV policies, such as tax incentives and domestic production incentives, to accelerate the shift to cleaner transportation
- By 2025, over a dozen African countries are expected to implement national EV laws to promote sustainable mobility, supported by private investments in local vehicle assembly, charging stations, and renewable energy infrastructure
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
As urban populations increase and fuel prices rise, electric vehicles provide a cleaner and more cost-effective alternative to gasoline-powered automobiles, making them an increasingly important option for Africa.
Source: Getty Images
In addition to lowering harmful pollutants, electric vehicles offer a financially viable option for long-distance transportation as urban populations increase and gasoline prices rise throughout Africa.
In several African nations, electric vehicles are becoming more popular due to increased investment, tax incentives, and improved infrastructure.
Business Insider Africa examines electric buses in East Africa and two- and three-wheelers in West Africa, where nations are looking for novel approaches to hasten the adoption of electric vehicles.
EVs are increasingly crucial in some regions to enhance urban transportation, reduce air pollution, and lessen reliance on pricey imported gasoline. In other cases, they are acting as an affordable remedy for inter-city and rural dynamics.
EV policies on the rise
To accelerate the shift to cleaner transportation, more than a dozen African nations will have implemented national electric vehicle (EV) laws by the beginning of 2025.
These policies usually consist of government-led pilot programmes to incorporate EVs into public transportation networks, tax incentives for EV imports, lower tariffs on batteries and components, and investments in renewable energy infrastructure.
To promote domestic EV production, some nations are also offering incentives to regional manufacturers, while others are enacting laws to gradually phase out internal combustion engine vehicles.
For instance, Ethiopia and Benin are rapidly switching to electric motorcycles, and Kenya has started a test programme for electric buses in Nairobi.
In a similar vein, South Africa and Morocco are establishing themselves as centres for EV production, both to meet domestic demand and to export to Europe and other countries.
Source: Getty Images
When taken as a whole, these actions demonstrate a growing commitment to sustainable mobility, backed by private investors who finance local vehicle assembly, battery swap networks, and charging stations.
The top ten African nations using electric vehicles, according to the most recent data from the International Energy Agency, are:
| Rank | Country | Estimated EV Stock | Notable Highlights |
| 1 | Ghana | Approx. 17,000 | Duty waivers; high adoption of 2- & 3-wheelers. |
| 2 | Morocco | Approx. 10,000 | 400+ charging stations; strong EV export. |
| 3 | South Africa | Approx. 6,000 | 400+ public chargers; import duty removed. |
| 4 | Tanzania | Approx. 5,000 | Rapid growth in electric bikes and tuk-tuks. |
| 5 | Ethiopia | Approx. 5,000–7,000 | Hydropower-powered EVs; tax incentives. |
| 6 | Egypt | Approx. 3,500–4,000 | Local EV assembly plans; growing charging network. |
| 7 | Kenya | Approx. 3,753 | E-buses like BasiGo are aimed at achieving a % EV registration by 2025. |
| 8 | Benin | Over 3,000 | Electric motorcycles with lease-to-own models. |
| 9 | Rwanda | Approx. 1,182 | Zero VAT and registration fees; expanding charging infrastructure |
| 10 | Angola | Approx. 1,000 | Import tax cuts until 2032; 2,000 EVs imported in 2024. |
Uber, Bolt get new rival as firm launches electric vehicle taxi
Legit.ng reported that At the launch event in Lagos, Foltï Technologies Limited announced that all of its vehicles would be powered by 95% solar energy.
According to Ahmad Damcida, founder of Foltï Technologies, eDryv will be a unique transportation-as-a-service (TaaS) model that also includes corporate transport solutions and vehicle rentals.
eDryv is Nigeria's first electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing service.
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