Energy producer, Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) has announced a strategy to guide the country’s transition from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles (EV) in order to address Kenya’s transportation issues and climate change.
In the coming year, the company intends to open approximately 30 electric vehicle charging stations.
“I am glad to announce that in the next one year, we plan to roll out about 30 EV charging stations in major cities across the country. The four acquired EVs we are launching today will give the company first-hand experience and data on electric vehicles,” said Abraham Serem, Acting Managing Director and CEO of KenGen.
The company unveiled its first four Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Nairobi on Thursday as part of a move to support its e-mobility diversification ambitions.
The two SUVs and double-cab pickup trucks are among four vehicles that the company will primarily use for data collection and policy development.
The company will use the cost and environmental data from the four EVs to convert its fleet to EVs, highlighting KenGen’s contribution to improving its position as a destination for investment funds funding green initiatives.
During the launch, Serem stated that the pilot EV units would allow them to conduct a thorough analysis of the viability of switching to e-vehicles and provide information on the initial technology options for the country’s electric charging infrastructure.
“The development of e-mobility is an area that will require a multi-sectoral approach. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and working together with key partners, we have no doubt that this transition will pick up pace faster than envisaged,” said Serem.
The company already has two EV charging stations in Nairobi and Naivasha and plans to build three more in the counties of Murang’a, Embu, and Kisumu by the end of 2023. The charging stations are not open to the public because they are being used for internal testing and data collection prior to the start of the commercial rollout.
