The electric mobility landscape in Rwanda could significantly change as the plan to set up charging points in different satellite cities across the country is rolled out.
A partnership between Societe Petroliere Ltd (SP), a private company that imports and distributes petroleum products in Rwanda and Kabisa Electric, an electric vehicle mobility company, will see fifteen electric vehicle (EV) charging stations built in twelve satellite cities across the country.
These cities include Nyamata, Rwamagana, Muhanga, Rusizi, Nyamasheke, Karongi, Nyamagabe-Kitabi, Huye, Rubengera, Nyirangarama, Burera, and Nyagatare.
"In the next three months, Kabisa and SP will work together to install 15 more public charging points across Rwanda,” Nicholas Hu, Co-founder and CEO of Kabisa Electric told The New Times.
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Though electric vehicles have emerged as a sustainable alternative to the traditional fuel-powered cars, their adoption heavily relies on the availability of charging infrastructure.
With very few charging points available outside Kigali, many EV users suffer range anxiety, which is the fear that the EV battery will run out of power before the destination or a charging point is reached.
Range anxiety has been identified as one of the major hindrances to EV adoption in many African countries.
Kabisa currently has 19 charging points in Kigali and 4 outside of Kigali, 23 in total.
"With this partnership, Kabisa’s public charging infrastructure will double and increase accessibility for all with electric vehicles in Rwanda," Hu noted, adding that this has been made possible thanks to the funding from Ireme Invest.
Ireme Invest is an investment facility under the Rwanda Green Fund, which has been supporting green projects aimed at promoting sustainable development in Rwanda.
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Studies have shown that an increasing number of EVs may overload the charging infrastructure which in turn affects power grids&039; reliability, frequency and voltage stability.
According to Hu, his company’s ultimate goal is to have charging points that are off-grid. This means that the company targets to roll out charging stations that are not connected to the main electrical power grid, instead powered by alternative sources of energy such as solar panels.
"While off-grid is the ultimate goal and Kabisa does have off-grid charging points in Kigali, all the new charging points in this partnership will be on-grid," he noted.
It is hoped that this move to increase access to charging infrastructure across the country, coupled with tax incentives from the government, will help increase the adoption of EVs and accelerate the transition to electric mobility in Rwanda.