• News
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Premium
  • Reviews
  • Events
    • Nigeria
    • South Africa
  • Tools
    • Price Guide
    • Find your idea car
    • Car valuation
    • Sell your car
    • Car insurance quote
    • Locate a dealer
    • Deals
  • For Sale
    • New Cars for sale
    • Cheap Cars for sale
    • Bikes for sale
    • Trucks for sale
    • Boats for sale
    • Jets for sale in Africa
    • Cars under 5m
    • EV in Nigeria
    • EV in South Africa
Saturday, September 27, 2025
  • Login
Auto Journal Africa
  • News
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Premium
  • Reviews
  • Events
    • Nigeria
    • South Africa
  • Tools
    • Price Guide
    • Find your idea car
    • Car valuation
    • Sell your car
    • Car insurance quote
    • Locate a dealer
    • Deals
  • For Sale
    • New Cars for sale
    • Cheap Cars for sale
    • Bikes for sale
    • Trucks for sale
    • Boats for sale
    • Jets for sale in Africa
    • Cars under 5m
    • EV in Nigeria
    • EV in South Africa
Ask Autojorunal AI
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Premium
  • Reviews
  • Events
    • Nigeria
    • South Africa
  • Tools
    • Price Guide
    • Find your idea car
    • Car valuation
    • Sell your car
    • Car insurance quote
    • Locate a dealer
    • Deals
  • For Sale
    • New Cars for sale
    • Cheap Cars for sale
    • Bikes for sale
    • Trucks for sale
    • Boats for sale
    • Jets for sale in Africa
    • Cars under 5m
    • EV in Nigeria
    • EV in South Africa
No Result
View All Result
Morning News
No Result
View All Result
Home Africa

Kenya bets on EVs to cut fuel imports and create jobs as local assembly surges 16%

...eyes 500,000 electric motorcycles and 50,000 cars in 7 years

David Ijaseun by David Ijaseun
September 3, 2025
in Africa, Electric Vehicles, Premium
0
Electric vehicles plant in Kenya
3.8k
SHARES
22.8k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Kenya is betting big on electric vehicles as it seeks to cut fuel imports, create jobs, and boost clean energy use, but success will hinge on linking vehicle assembly with its renewable power surplus, industry leaders and officials say.

For decades, second-hand imports have dominated Kenya’s car market, accounting for more than 80% of sales. But electric vehicles (EVs) are now being framed as the disruptor that could turn this reliance into an opportunity. “Localization is not just about assembling cars. It’s about making chargers, battery packs, and key EV components that create lasting jobs,” said Tobias Alando, Chief Operating Officer at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers.

READ ALSO

China to tighten EV exports with permit system after 1.65m shipped in 2024

Nigeria’s SiltechWorld makes history with Africa’s first EV export to U.S.

Every EV on Kenyan roads runs on locally generated electricity, 90% of which comes from renewable sources like geothermal, wind, and hydropower. “That makes energy itself local content,” said Moses Gachemi Nderitu, Managing Director of BasiGo, which assembles electric buses in Nairobi. “Each vehicle reduces fuel imports while anchoring new jobs in both manufacturing and energy.”

Kenya currently curtails between 300–400 GWh of electricity yearly, due to low off-peak demand. Analysts say EV adoption could absorb this surplus and spur new generation projects. A medium scenario shows that within 5–7 years, 50,000 EV cars, 500,000 electric motorcycles, and 5,000 buses could consume about 1.19 TWh annually, nearly three times today’s wasted energy. That would require 120–150 MW of new renewable capacity, seen by officials not as a burden, but as an investment trigger.

The government is aligning policy to support the shift. New incentives exempt tariffs on imported EV parts, while older polluting imports face higher taxes. Financing models are also evolving, with Pay-As-You-Drive options lowering the barrier for drivers. “This facility will strengthen our local vehicle assembly and parts manufacturing industry while also addressing electricity losses,” said Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi, after signing a $169 million Samurai loan agreement with Japan in August.

Kenya’s assembly output is already rebounding. In the first half of 2025, 6,723 vehicles rolled out of local plants, up 16.4% from 5,778 a year earlier, recovering from declines in 2022 and 2023. German and Japanese automakers have restarted local projects, including Volkswagen SUVs and Toyota Fortuners, while promising to create hundreds of jobs.

Industry analysts argue that success depends on Kenya broadening the definition of “local content” beyond vehicles. “Every imported fuel tanker is exported jobs. Every EV, whether imported or assembled here, locks value into our economy because it runs on local clean power,” Nderitu said.

The twin play of EV localisation and renewable energy could give Kenya a first-mover advantage in Africa’s $50 billion automotive market, which the African Development Bank estimates will more than double by 2035. For many Kenyans, the payoff is more immediate: cleaner air, quieter streets, and cheaper rides.

Read more on Car theft drops 28% in Kenya, but Toyotas remain top target

Tags: electric vehiclesHeadlineKenya

Related Posts

electric vehicles (EVs)
News

China to tighten EV exports with permit system after 1.65m shipped in 2024

September 27, 2025
Siltech World Falcon Elohim bike in USA (4)
Africa

Nigeria’s SiltechWorld makes history with Africa’s first EV export to U.S.

September 24, 2025
Porsche Italia & Ferragamo - 911 and Taycan Models
Business

Investors punish Porsche as EV rollout stalls and profit forecast drops to record low

September 24, 2025
BYD plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)
Electric Vehicles

Chinese carmakers outsell Renault, Audi in Europe as plug-in hybrid sales jump 121%

September 24, 2025
Jaguar Land Rover cyberatack
Cars/SUVs

Jaguar Land Rover’s cyberattack shutdown to cost £50 million a week as factories stay closed

September 24, 2025
German self-driving auto indutry [Source Quartz]
Electric Vehicles

Germany’s auto industry risks falling behind in self-driving race

September 22, 2025
Next Post
ArcelorMittal South Africa steel industry

ArcelorMittal to axe 4,000 jobs, nearly half its South African workforce

POPULAR NEWS

Inferno at Toyota 1000 Desert Race consumes 49 cars

Inferno at Toyota 1000 Desert Race consumes 49 cars

July 3, 2023
Mobius Motors

Mobius Motors: Rising taxes, competition ends Kenyan SUV maker’s journey

August 7, 2024
Autojournal car race

Get ready for the biggest RACE show this December in Nigeria

August 12, 2024
From style to sustainability: How Geely Auto is shaping the future of luxury vehicles

From style to sustainability: How Geely Auto is shaping the future of luxury vehicles

October 25, 2024
Oyo State Governor gifts Saheed Osupa Toyota Prado SUV worth ₦70M 

Oyo State Governor gifts Saheed Osupa Toyota Prado SUV worth ₦70M 

August 22, 2023

EDITOR'S PICK

Trump tarrifs

Here’s how Trump’s tariffs could increase your next car’s price by up to $10,000

November 30, 2024
Volkswagen EV

How Volkswagen’s €20,000 EV could make electric mobility affordable for millions

February 7, 2025
Shekel mobility

Shekel Mobility raises $1.95M in pre-seed funding

January 14, 2023
Roxette Motors

Governor Otti’s local-first policy gains momentum with Roxette Motors

March 2, 2025

About

Auto Journal Africa is the leading online and print magazine for automobiles in Africa.

Follow us

Recent Posts

  • China to tighten EV exports with permit system after 1.65m shipped in 2024
  • Nigeria’s SiltechWorld makes history with Africa’s first EV export to U.S.
  • Investors punish Porsche as EV rollout stalls and profit forecast drops to record low
  • Chinese carmakers outsell Renault, Audi in Europe as plug-in hybrid sales jump 121%

Links

  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Events
  • Tools
  • For Sale

© 2023 Auto Journal

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Premium
  • Reviews
  • Events
    • Nigeria
    • South Africa
  • Tools
    • Price Guide
    • Find your idea car
    • Car valuation
    • Sell your car
    • Car insurance quote
    • Locate a dealer
    • Deals
  • For Sale
    • New Cars for sale
    • Cheap Cars for sale
    • Bikes for sale
    • Trucks for sale
    • Boats for sale
    • Jets for sale in Africa
    • Cars under 5m
    • EV in Nigeria
    • EV in South Africa

© 2023 Auto Journal

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In