<
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250508-rwanda-is-sparking-africas-e-bike-revolution>
"Over the past decade, electric vehicles have been an integral part of the
West's planned transition to green energy, offering a variety of opportunities
for carbon-hungry industries such as transportation, freight and logistics. But
outside of urban hubs in places like the US, the EU and east Asia, the promise
of e-mobility is often harder to realise. In Africa, for example, widespread
problems with power distribution are a serious roadblock for the adoption of
electric vehicles. Rwanda, however, is thinking differently.
The tiny East African nation has a grand plan to convert its over 100,000
motorbikes to e-bikes. Officials know the project will put significant pressure
on the country's electricity grid, but a host of e-bike startups are
experimenting with innovative solutions. That includes solar-powered
electricity stations, battery swapping plans, repurposing or recycling
batteries as they wear down, and mini-grids (small, localised power generation
systems that operate off-grid). The aim is to power large e-bike fleets without
interrupting its national electricity distribution. If it works, this could be
a model for the rest of Africa and other corners of the developing world.
Rwanda's greenhouse gas emissions were projected to double between 2015 and
2030, but interest in e-mobility exploded after the government pledged to
reduce its rising emissions by 38% during the same period (approximately 4.6
metric tonnes). Other African countries like Kenya, Togo, Nigeria and South
Africa have rolled out assertive policies to promote their transition to clean
energy – from subsidies on renewable energy to tax breaks and reduced import
duties on electric vehicles.
Yet Rwanda is recording the most success, says Michael Irenge, an engineer
based in the country who works at NETIS Group, a telecommunications and energy
infrastructure firm. With cutting-edge renewable energy plans, a $300m (£226m)
investment project to finance climate resilience, government incentives for
electric vehicles and a host of enterprising e-bike startups, Irenge and others
argue that Rwanda is helping to set new standards for African e-mobility."
Via
Reasons to be Cheerful:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-were-reading-chestnut-tree-hybrid-nyc/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
