Q&A: Why EV firms should make data accessible

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E-mobility data across Africa is largely inaccessible, says Bob Wesonga, a research and operations associate at the Africa E-Mobility Alliance, in an interview with Mobility Rising. Charging and battery swapping infrastructure data is the hardest to obtain, as it depends on voluntary disclosure by private companies, often withheld due to trade secrecy.  

• The biggest barrier is companies’ reluctance to share proprietary information, fearing it could weaken their market position. Mr Wesonga highlights South Africa as a model for transparent infrastructure data sharing.

• He also stresses the need for reliable and harmonised data systems among government agencies.  

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How accessible is e-mobility data across African countries?

Mr Wesonga: E-mobility data across Africa is largely inaccessible. Most African countries do not actively collect EV-related data, and when they do, it's usually limited to vehicle registration at the import stage. For instance, governments often track the number of vehicles entering through ports, but what about retrofitted vehicles? The data collected tends to come from private companies, and even then, sharing it is a significant challenge. Government institutions are typically slow to respond, and private sector players are reluctant to disclose what they consider proprietary information. 

What kind of data is most difficult to find when building the EV data portal for Africa?

Mr Wesonga: Charging station and battery swapping infrastructure data are the hardest to gather. While registration data for vehicles is relatively easy to source from government records like the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in Kenya, infrastructure data relies heavily on private companies voluntarily disclosing their numbers, or KPLC noting down the number of stations they have connected to the grid. Unfortunately, private companies are reluctant to share precise figures, often citing competitive marketing. For instance, a company may say they have "100+" swap stations, but they won’t specify if it's 101 or 120, because marketing thrives in ambiguity. In contrast, actual users and planners need absolute numbers. This is particularly critical in countries like Kenya, where EV uptake is mainly in commercial two-wheelers, and each company uses a closed-loop system for battery swapping.

How reliable is the current data on the African e-mobility data portal?

Mr Wesonga: The reliability of the data varies daily. The portal often holds ballpark figures from earlier research, but due to the dynamic nature of EV imports and infrastructure rollouts, it's difficult to keep it perfectly up to date. For example, if one EV is imported into a country today, and that update isn’t reflected in the portal, then the data is already outdated. We do our best to tag every dataset with a date and a source, but verification is still a challenge. We’re working on revamping the portal to allow better metadata, so users can trace the source and context of each number.

How is Kenya progressing toward its 5% EV registration target by 2025?

Mr Wesonga: Unfortunately, Kenya is far from achieving the 5% EV registration target it committed to in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The commitment, like many others across Africa, was made without solid data backing, more as a political statement at climate summits than a data-informed strategy. As of now, Kenya is hovering around 1-2% in EV penetration. There’s also a lack of mechanisms to measure progress, because no baseline data was set before these policies were introduced, it's impossible to assess their true impact.

What explains the discrepancy between the 100,000+ EVs previously claimed in Ethiopia and the recent official number of 14,000?

Mr Wesonga: The earlier claim of over 100,000 EVs in Ethiopia seemed overly ambitious and, frankly, exaggerated. It was made in the lead-up to their policy banning the importation of ICE vehicles, likely as a political move to demonstrate momentum. However, the recent figure of 14,000 EVs, reported by the Ethiopian energy ministry, is more realistic. Ethiopia's economy, while relatively strong, has liquidity challenges. 

What are your thoughts on improving EV data collaboration with private sector players?

Mr Wesonga: There’s a real need for deeper collaboration with and within the private sector. For example, AfEMA has worked with EMAK here in Kenya to exchange some numbers and co-author white papers. However, the main challenge is the reluctance to share detailed information, some of which they consider proprietary. Companies worry that disclosing infrastructure data could hurt their competitive edge. That said, cooperation is especially critical for detailed information such as infrastructure data, like charging and swapping stations, which governments often don’t track. A model like South Africa's, where private operators share their charging data publicly, is ideal. We need more of that across Africa to build reliable datasets that support planning and investor confidence.

What are your top priorities for improving EV data transparency in Africa?

Mr Wesonga: First, we need to build reliable data collection systems. Many government agencies currently don't even collect e-mobility data, or they rely on outdated or incomplete sources. Agencies like NTSA, KRA, and KPLC must harmonise and share this information. Second, once data is collected, it must be made publicly accessible. Transparency will allow researchers, investors, and policymakers to make informed decisions. Lastly, institutions need to talk to each other. For instance, if KRA clears 90 EVs at the port and NTSA registers 100, there should be a red flag. This kind of cross-agency data validation can significantly improve accuracy and inform better policy.