Kenya Power Adds More Electric Vehicles To Its Fleet

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There’s a rising variety of utility firms on the African continent that are actually including electrical autos to their fleet. Fleet operators have a number of the finest use instances for electrification. A number of their operations revolve round well-known routes and every day driving ranges, which is nice for planning charging classes round their regular operations. On-campus charging at their depots is one other nice perk. Fleet managers will get a variety of advantages from decrease complete value of possession by switching to electrical. For these firms which can be within the enterprise of producing electrical energy or accountable for the wholesale or retailing of electrical energy, they get the added benefit of substituting an enormous petrol and diesel invoice by means of the consumption of a number of the fruits of their very own labour. Why pay another person for some diesel and petrol when you might simply eat a number of the electrical energy you’re producing or retailing?

In South Africa, Eskom, which has about 12,000 vehicles in its fleethas simply launched a pilot program as one of many first steps in direction of electrifying this fleet. The pilot project consists of the procurement of 20 electrical autos, starting from mild supply autos to mild vehicles for operational use. The pilot mission includes the set up of 10 charging stations at 5 Eskom websites throughout the nation. The opposite websites are Brackenfell in Cape City, Mkondeni in Pietermaritzburg, Tlhabane Buyer Community Centre (CNC) in Rustenburg, and Marathon CNC in Mbombela. These websites will function the muse for Eskom Distribution’s long-term technique to affect its complete fleet by 2040.

In Kenya, the Kenya Electrical energy Producing Firm PLC (KenGen) launched a plan final yr to guide Kenya’s transition from gasoline-powered autos to electrical autos as one other manner of combating local weather change whereas fixing transportation challenges within the nation. To launch the mission, KenGen unveiled its first four electric vehicles (EVs) in Nairobi in a transfer to help its diversification ambitions within the e-mobility sector. The 4 autos, which embody two SUVs and two double-cabin pickups, will primarily be used for knowledge assortment and coverage growth as the corporate prepares to put in over 30 EV charging stations throughout the nation.

Additionally in Kenya, Kenya Energy, which is the principle offtaker of energy produced by each nationwide (KenGen) and unbiased energy producers in Kenya, says that, as a serious stakeholder within the electrical energy sector, it has been on the forefront of selling the adoption of electrical mobility in Kenya. Earlier this yr, Kenya Energy introduced that it’ll make investments as much as KShs 258 million (~$2 million) within the subsequent three years to drive the uptake of electrical autos within the nation. The cash will go in direction of the price of establishing charging stations at varied areas throughout the nation and the acquisition of electrical autos and motorbikes for its personal inside operations.

Kenya Energy is now ramping up its actions within the electrical mobility house. Kenya Power has already set up some charging stations which will also be accessed by most of the people in addition to its personal fleet. Kenya Energy launched a DC charging station at Stima Plaza, which has been arrange at a price of KShs 6.5 million (~$50,000). The charging station includes two chargers; a 50 kW DC and a 22 kW AC charger. It’s the second EV charging station that’s owned by Kenya Energy, after an identical one that’s positioned on the Ruaraka Depot, which hosts the corporate’s transport part. Kenya Energy additionally acquired some electrical pickups and a few Hyundai Kona SUVs.

Kenya Energy not too long ago added some extra electrical autos to its fleet. This time it launched some Mahindra XUV400 electrical SUVs. Simba Company, the official dealership for Mahindra in Kenya, delivered the XUV400 electrical SUVs to Kenya Energy. In keeping with David Mugambi, Head of Transport at Kenya Energy, the supply marks a big step ahead in Kenya’s journey in direction of sustainable mobility and environmental duty.

“At over 92% green generation, Kenya Power has one of the cleanest energy distributions on the planet. In light of environmental concerns and our need to be carbon neutral, reducing emissions within the transport space is crucial. This therefore marks an important milestone in our EV journey, which started 8 years ago with the transition to electric material handling equipment in our yards and warehouses,” says Mugambi.

Group Managing Director of Simba Company’s Motors Division, Naresh Leekha, says the corporate is dedicated to supporting Kenya’s EV journey as illustrated by the introduction of the Mahindra XUV400 SUV into the Kenyan market. The automobile has a acknowledged acceleration of 0–100 km/h in 8.3 seconds, delivered with a torque output of 310 Nm. It has a variety of as much as 456 km in a single cost utilizing the Modified Indian Driving Cycle (MIDC). It comes with two battery choices (34.5 kWh and 39.4 kWh).

Photographs courtesy of Simba Company