Consumer View: I want to buy an EV to fight air pollution

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For most people in Africa, the idea of buying an EV to reduce carbon emissions is alien. They buy EVs because they are cheaper to use, which helps them put more money into their pockets. But that is not the case for Peter Emmanuel, a freelance journalist based in Nigeria. For him, the main reason he wants to purchase an EV is to fight air pollution and protect the environment. 

• The journalist is right to be worried about Nigeria’s worsening air quality. In 2019, around 23,900 premature deaths were attributable to air pollution in Lagos alone. An estimated 30% of Lagos’ air pollution concentrations are attributable to road transport. 

• “When I look at electric vehicles, sustainability is a big factor for me. They create a cleaner environment since there’s no smoke or emissions, and that’s something Nigeria really needs,” Mr Emmanuel tells Mobility Rising in an interview. 

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Peter Emmanuel works as the sub-editor for Parallel Facts News, a Nigerian online news publication. It is this work as a newsman that exposed him to the world of EVs, which are making headlines across the world as global sales hit new records.

“As a journalist who is always online, I kept seeing stories about how EVs were changing transportation in places like Europe, China, and even parts of Africa, especially in Nigeria. At first, it felt like just another global tech trend, but then I started noticing how often conversations around clean energy, rising fuel prices, and climate change were tied to EVs,” he remembers.

Then, he noticed his acquaintances talking about solar power and alternative energy. It got him thinking about how renewable energy can be used to power EVs. His interest in EVs was recently reignited when the Nigerian government announced the purchase of a fleet of EVs from China.

“I felt it was a really good initiative for the country, and it also deepened my personal interest in getting one myself,” he says.  

Since then, he has been conducting his own research to learn more about EVs, including how they are charged, charging duration, and information about different models. From his research, he has learnt about the many advantages of buying an EV. For him, the savings on operational costs are a big draw. But the environmental aspect is big too, cognizant of Nigeria’s worsening air quality, especially in its crowded commercial capital Lagos.

“When I look at electric vehicles, sustainability is a big factor for me. They create a cleaner environment since there’s no smoke or emissions, and that’s something Nigeria really needs. I also see EVs as part of technological advancement because in today’s digitalized world, clean energy and modern technology go hand in hand. For me, EVs represent both environmental sustainability and the push for smarter technology,” says Mr Emmanuel. 

He also believes that EVs in Nigeria are still largely underreported, especially in the mainstream media. This, he says, makes it harder to build real public interest. At the same time, he believes that the Nigerian government needs to step up by improving infrastructure and putting clear regulations in place around EV adoption.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has an estimated 5,000 EVs on the road, encompassing two, three, and four-wheelers, with a significant number of these being Chinese brands sold by numerous dealerships. Local companies such as Saglev and Qoray Mobility are actively deploying EV fleets, contributing to a growing but still nascent EV market within the country. 

“That’s the only way the initiative can really work and be adopted really fast in Nigeria.” 

Nigeria is a major consumer of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The Nigerian government is investing heavily in making CNG a cheaper alternative energy for transportation to petrol and diesel. Mr Emmanuel says the Nigerian government should replicate its CNG strategy in EVs to build charging infrastructure.

“If the government and private sector invest in this, just like they did with CNG, then the charging challenge can be managed effectively and won’t be a reason to panic,” he says.

The concerns raised by Mr Emmanuel comes even as EVs are still very expensive for the average Nigerian, and without supportive policies or incentives, adoption will be slow.

“If these two areas are addressed, then I’m confident Nigeria can fully embrace electric vehicles,” he says.