Kenya Power organized its second e-mobility conference to promote the adoption of electric vehicles

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According to new vehicle registration statistics by fuel type, there are at least 4,000 electric vehicles in Kenya, ranging from two-wheelers to three-wheelers and four-wheelers. This means that electric vehicles currently account for just 0.01% of Kenya's total car population, which amounts to approximately 4 million. Nearly 50% of these vehicles are motorcycles with a combustion engine. Four years ago, Kenya set a target for at least 5% of new vehicle registrations to be electric by 2025 (National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, 2020). According to KNBS data, approximately 234,000 vehicles were registered in 2022, of which 5% would be 17,700 vehicles. In 2021, 399,000 vehicles were registered. 5% of this would be 19,950 vehicles.

Assuming that vehicle sales will pick up again in 2025 to reach 2021 figures, this means that around 20,000 electric vehicles will need to be registered next year. A lot of work is needed to help us reach this level within a year. This is one of the reasons why Kenya Power wants to help catalyze the adoption of electric vehicles in Kenya.

Kenya Power is Kenya's electricity company and the main consumer of power produced by both national and independent power producers. Kenya Power then transmits, distributes and sells the power to customers throughout Kenya. As of December 2023, the company had more than 9.5 million customers and had provided more than 76% of the country's population with access to the national electricity grid. As a key stakeholder in the electricity sector, Kenya Power is at the forefront of promoting the adoption of electric mobility in Kenya. Kenya Power is now expanding its electric mobility activities.

As part of its initiatives to promote the adoption of electric mobility in Kenya, Kenya Power recently organized the second edition of its annual electric mobility conference. Kenya Power says Kenya is a global leader in green energy, with the country's energy mix comprising more than 92% renewable energy. Kenya currently has an installed capacity of 3246 MW (December 2023) and an off-peak load of 1100 MW. Kenya Power adds that this means there is enough power to support the entire e-mobility ecosystem, including powering charging stations for domestic and business use.

The event, which had the theme “Accelerating the Adoption of Electric Mobility in Kenya,” was held at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) on April 23 and 24, 2024. Some of the key sessions of the conference covered the following areas:

Policy and regulatory environment that drives the growth of e-mobility. Regulatory and operational environment in Kenya, gains made to date, lessons learned.
Grid capacity, reliability and preparedness. Development of infrastructure and network stability to enable the introduction of e-mobility.
Safety and quality assurance (products, batteries, charging infrastructure). Regulatory framework and standards for the EV space in the country
Local assembly and production. Opportunities and challenges in local assembly of EVs, including quality control. The future/sustainability of local assembly and production. Skills availability and gaps.
Public transport and electric vehicles
Charging infrastructure – Technology and management platforms

Kenya Power also recently announced that it will invest up to KShs258 million (~$2 million) over the next three years to boost the uptake of electric vehicles in the country. The money will go towards the costs of setting up charging stations at various locations in the country and the purchase of electric vehicles and motorcycles for its own internal operations.

Some of the interesting EVs on display at the conference included the Neta V and Wuling Air, as well as the Mahindra XUV 400. Here are some images from the conference: