What Citroën Ami’s Africa trip shows about the future of EVs

From the newsletter

Carrying along dozens of solar panels to generate their own power, four fully electric Citroën Ami cars last week concluded a historic four-month journey from Morocco to South Africa, covering 16,000 km. This feat, a world first, shows that if a small EV like the Citroën Ami can cover this distance, electric mobility can be adapted to everyone's needs. 

• Africa’s electrification rate is around 45%, the lowest in the world. This limits the adoption of EVs, as charging stations are scarce. But the advent of solar-powered cars such as the Citroën Ami could be a gamechanger. Such cars are viable in any location, as long as the sun shines.

• Solar-powered cars are new to Africa. Some dealers (such as Ghana’s Solar Taxi) import them from China and sell or rent them out. However, a local manufacturing industry of solar cars is emerging on the continent. For instance, Bako Motors, a German-Tunisian startup, is emerging as a frontrunner by developing high-end solar EVs in Tunisia.

More details

• The four Citroën Ami cars left Morocco on October 28, 2025 before traversing Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Namibia and arriving in South Africa on February 28, 2025.

• The journey involved 123 stops in villages, towns and remote areas and used 100% renewable energy mainly solar energy (95%), 4% hydroelectric energy and 1% wind energy. With zero carbon emissions, this journey is a world first, highlighting the potential of electric mobility, even in the most challenging environments.

• The Citroën Ami is made and distributed in Morocco by Citroën, a French automobile manufacturer that is a subsidiary of Netherlands-based multinational automobile company Stellantis NV. These specific cars are made in Morocco. For the journey, each Ami was packed with 5.6 kW of solar panels.  

• The Citroën Ami is built with solar panel roofs. The vehicle combines solar energy it generates from its roof and supplemented by the panels that are carried along. Currently, fully solar-powered cars are not widespread. While advancements are being made, challenges like the efficiency of solar panels and the need for large surface areas to capture sufficient sunlight remain.

• However, the integration of solar technology into EVs is gaining traction. Many manufacturers are exploring or implementing solar panels on their vehicles to provide supplemental charging. This will be a gamechanger for Africa, which severely lacks EV charging stations. The lack of charging stations has seen the emergence of startups specializing in off-grid stations such as South Africa’s Charge. 

• Charging rates with solar are very slow, but the savings over an extended period of time can be significant. These savings are expected to increase demand for cars fitted with solar panels. Market research indicates that the solar-powered car market is expected to experience significant growth in the coming years. Further, solar photovoltaic costs have fallen by 90% in the last decade. 

Our take

• Currently, vehicles with integrated solar technology often come at a premium. This is due to the added technology and the low production volumes. However, as solar technology advances and production scales up, the cost difference is expected to narrow.

• Africa, which receives sunshine all-year round, stands to benefit the most from solar-powered cars. Most individuals on the continent often park their vehicles in the sun all day when they are working. These sun hours can be utilized to charge the batteries, reducing the overall charging costs. 

• Car owners currently enjoy between two and three extra miles daily through their solar roof charging under ideal sun conditions. But solar technology is advancing fast, which enables new generation panels to convert more of the sun’s energy into power. Soon, we could see motorists enjoy an excess of five extra miles daily as this technology improves.