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- Success in Mauritius could see Tata expand to mainland Africa
Success in Mauritius could see Tata expand to mainland Africa
 | India’s largest car manufacturer Tata Motors has introduced its electric vehicles to Africa for the first time. The company started selling three models (the Tiago.ev, Punch.ev and Nexon.ev) in Mauritius, the Indian Ocean island nation. The vehicles are distributed by Allied Motors, marking Tata’s first expansion of its EV portfolio beyond South Asia. |
The company dominates EV sales in India with a 73% market share. While Mauritius is its first expansion destination, mainland Africa is likely next, given growing EV demand.
With a population of just 1.26 million people, Mauritius is one of the smallest markets in Africa. And one of the wealthiest. Its citizens can afford Tata EVs starting at $10,000. Besides Tata, Mauritius has also attracted KIA and other EV manufacturers recently.
Our take: Tata has a century-old network of partners and subsidiaries across Africa in a diverse range of industries. This gives it an advantage compared to newcomers such as BYD... Read more (2 min)
 | Geely’s Radar RD6, the best-selling electric pick-up truck in China, will be available in Africa for the first time. The veteran carmaker announced the vehicle, known outside China as the Riddara, is to make its debut this year. Geely has partnered with Enviro Automotive to sell the vehicle in South Africa, a key market for pick-ups. |
The Radar RD6 is the market leader in China, where it maintained a market share of 61% between January and October 2023. The vehicle’s popularity stems from it being the first mass market fully electric truck produced in China.
In South Africa, it will compete for customers with other fully-electric pick-ups. The first was the SAIC MAXUS T90 EV, made by SAIC Motor, a Chinese state-owned manufacturer. It was introduced in South Africa in 2023. The JAC Motors T8 EV pick-up is also sold locally.
Our take: Rugged Africa has a disproportionate number of pick-ups and needs many more. That’s not going to change. If the Riddara does well in South Africa, it’s likely to appear in Morocco, Egypt and Kenya next… Read more (2 min)
 | A survey by the Strathmore Energy Research Centre recently revealed that over 80% of Kenyan technicians lack formal training in EV technology. We explore this fact in an interview with Pius Musyimi Wathome, an e-mobility adviser specialising in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at GIZ Kenya, a key player in Africa’s green transition. |
Pius highlighted a shortage of professionals to analyse energy use and system inefficiencies, stressing the need for more energy auditors and skills in engineering, distribution, and R&D to support e-mobility growth.
“Cost, not interest, is the main barrier,” Pius said, noting that many struggle to access proper e-mobility training, with programmes like Advanced Mobility’s five-day course priced at around $310 which is beyond the reach of most young people.
Click here to read the rest of the conversation… (2 min)
Roam technicians assemble an electric motorcycle at Roam Park in Nairobi, Kenya
Events
🗓️ Attend Africa e-mobility event at Nordic EV Summit in Norway (April 8)
🗓️ Miggle with senior executives at Africa CEO’s Forum in Côte d'Ivoire (May 12)
🗓️ Connect with experts at West Africa Automotive Show in Nigeria (May 13)
Jobs
🤵🏻 Lead operations at Charge as Chief Operating Officer (South Africa)
👩🏻💼 Become a Human Resource Business Partner at MAX (Nigeria)
💼 Spearhead commercial insights at M-Kopa (Uganda, Kenya)
Various
🚍 Addis Ababa’s Mayor has unveiled 100 modern e-buses
🚗 Chinese EV brand Changan to launch in South Africa
⚡ Kenya’s smart city, Konza is seeking partners to build EV charging stations
Seen on LinkedIn
Chinedu Azodoh, Co-founder of MAX, says, “Battery production has an environmental impact but even when accounting for that, EVs still produce 20%–30% fewer emissions over their lifetime compared to fuel cars.”