Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD (BYD), now the world’s best-selling EV, plans to triple its dealerships in South Africa by next year. Annual sales of EVs — both fully electric and hybrids — in South Africa rose from a little over 400 to more than 7,700 units between 2019 and 2023.
BYD’s move speaks to a quiet revolution in parts of Africa which stretches from the bustling streets of Johannesburg to the sun-drenched highways of Rabat —not the roar of petrol engines, but the silent spin of electric vehicles (EVs).
For the African motorist, EVs aren’t just about cleaner air; they’re about seizing control of your commute, slashing costs, and reimagining life on the continent. Are EVs more democratic than their fossil fuel cousins? Can Africa’s patchy infrastructure support them? And how will they change parenting, or even drink driving? Buckle up for a ride through Africa’s electric future:
Plug In or Fall Behind
South Africa leads Africa’s electric race, but the frequent power outages (load-shedding on over 300 days in 2023) of its national electricity provider Eskom, raises doubts about large scale adoption. Its 450 public charging stations beat the global EV-to-charger benchmark of 10:1, but many are unreliable.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia made a dramatic pivot, banning fossil-fuel car imports in January 2024 to slash its $5.5 billion annual fuel bill. Over 60% of new vehicle registrations that year were electric, and the national EV fleet tripled to over 14,000 units, powered largely by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s cheap hydropower. But Addis Ababa has just two public charging station, and EV repair garages can be counted on two fingers. Not surprisingly, Ethiopia’s two EV garages are swamped.
Morocco is surging, with over $14 billion in annual auto exports and 220,000 direct jobs. Its free trade access to Europe, deals with automakers like Stellantis and BYD, and plans for lithium battery manufacturing make it a future hub. Morocco has already hit a 2% EV market share, backed by battery ambitions and the emergence of local charging infrastructure.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is also eyeing the prize. Local maker Innoson announced an EV assembly plant, and the government is in talks with Korean firms for joint ventures. Spiro—headquartered in Togo and focused on electric motorbike fleets—is setting up a $150 million facility to churn out 100,000 two-wheelers annually by 2025.
Rwanda’s EV push is policy-led: zero VAT on EVs, duty-free imports, and free land for charging infrastructure. Small-island economies like Seychelles and Mauritius are emerging EV players too, thanks to stable power grids and high per-capita incomes.
Kenya, with over 100 public chargers and a $100 million e-mobility fund, is piloting electrified boda bodas (motorcycle taxis). Uganda, meanwhile, is rolling out battery-swap stations—a faster, simpler alternative to full recharging.
But for most of Africa, it’s a bumpy road. Unreliable electricity, cratered roads that kill expensive EV batteries (costing $5,000–15,000 to replace), lack of road signage, and a lack of skilled technicians are major bottlenecks.
Powering the Streets with Silence
Still, EVs could jolt Africa’s infrastructure awake. Ethiopia’s internal combustion engine ban, Kenya’s e-mobility incentives, and Nigeria’s nascent EV sector are already attracting millions of dollars in smart grid and road investments. Charging points are safer than petrol stations and could spur decentralised energy systems, especially solar microgrids. Rwanda’s $900 million climate finance deal with the European Union and Morocco’s production model offer practical blueprints.
Mechanically, EVs are simpler—about 200 moving parts versus over 2,000 in traditional petrol cars. No oil changes. No timing belt breakdowns. But battery repairs remain prohibitively expensive.
In South Africa, EVs face a punitive 25% import tariff and an ad valorem tax, compared to 18% for petrol vehicles. The government’s Auto Green Paper proposes fixing this absurdity by slashing tariffs and investing in technician training.
Too many countries lack even basic diagnostic tools. But over time, the math tilts in favour of EVs. In South Africa, fuelling a petrol car costs roughly $275–$385 a month; EVs consume just 30% of that. Unlike petrol cars, which chain you to volatile global prices and fuel station queues, EVs let you plug in at home.
In Luanda or Accra, where sometimes fuel queues can stretch for hours and prices spike overnight, filling up is a high-stakes hustle. Storing petrol at home? A deadly fire hazard. EVs, on the other hand, sip quietly from your domestic grid—or better yet, your solar rooftop. That’s mobility with autonomy: power over your wallet, schedule, and direction. And they reduce noise pollution too.
Socially, EVs are changing “vibes”, as the young people say. In Lagos, rolling up for a date in a silent BYD Dolphin is the new flex—clean, quiet, cool. In Morocco, where urban charging points are expanding, EVs are becoming sleek symbols of modernity.
The Afrofuture Is Battery-Powered
But autonomous EVs raise new legal puzzles. If you’re drunk but not steering, is it still driving under the influence (DUI)? In jurisdictions without clear laws—like Kenya—the grey zones are growing. Expect future legislation on “supervisory negligence”, where being in a self-driving car still means being legally responsible.
For Africa’s stressed parents, self-driving EVs could rewrite daily routines. Could sending a child to school in an autonomous car with GPS and safety locks be safer than a matatu ride? Maybe. The tech still has to survive Kampala’s potholes. But it’s a robotic nanny many will welcome.
Without subsidies, EVs risk becoming toys for the elite. But Rwanda’s tax breaks and Morocco’s industrial deals show how policy can flatten the price curve and widen access.
So, what’s next? According to the International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook 2024, Africa’s EV fleet could grow tenfold by 2030—if power reliability, smart policy, and affordability come together.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 dreams of green industrialisation. EVs are not just the vehicle—they’re the highway. With robust investment in local assembly, technician training, and renewable grids, Africa can leapfrog straight into clean transport. Picture every village with a charger, every roof with a panel, every youth coding EV software. Not a fantasy. It’s an electric present within reach. The question is no longer if—but how boldly Africa chooses to drive its own tomorrow.
