Nigerian govt to launch low-cost electric vehicle before year-end

The Federal Government has disclosed plans to launch a low-cost electric vehicle that is in tune with the culture, climate, terrain and economic structure of the country towards the end of this year.

Specifically, the Director-General, Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu, said the vehicle was still in its design stage and would be developed to be the most applicable for Nigeria and Africa.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ripples Nigeria, Aliyu said after the launch, the agency would engage the private sector to mass-produce the vehicles for Nigeria and Africa.

Also, the DG said NADDC was working towards a National Electric Vehicle Programme, which comprises several elements like the Electric Vehicle Policy.

“The first is the Electric Vehicle Policy, which we have started to develop and this would be followed by initiatives and programmes to support the production and usage of electric vehicles in Nigeria.

“We are also doing direct research and design of an electric vehicle that we are developing. We are basically doing the engineering and the product design development of the vehicle.

“We can’t exactly show the public what it is until we are done with it, which should be very soon. It’s going to be a low-cost electric vehicle that is in tune with the culture, climate, terrain and the economic structure of Nigeria,” Aliyu said.

Speaking on the infrastructure already in place to support the innovation, the NADDC boss said the agency had also developed solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations.

“We have commissioned the first one at the Usman Dan Fodio University in Sokoto and a second one at the University of Lagos, and we have the third one coming at the University of Nigeria Nsukka.

READ ALSO: Congress calls out Twitter boss for tweeting during hearing. 2 other things and a trivia

“These are 100 per cent solar-powered charging stations for electric vehicles and why we have situated them in universities is so that we can collaborate with academia, support the technology and then get these young Nigerians directly exposed to this technology, and hopefully, have them come up with even better solutions and applications for Nigeria and Africa,” he added.

Meanwhile, Aliyu said the agency was also looking towards other applications of solar-powered equipment for agriculture and other utilitarian applications.

Ripples Nigeria reported recently that one of the foremost logistics company in the country, GIG Logistics signed a partnership with JET Motor Limited to use their JET electric vehicles for in their logistics business.

The two companies also unveiled an electric charging point for vehicles in Lagos as part of the partnership.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now