When fuel car assemblers shift to EVs in Africa

June 30, 2025

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Chinese automobile manufacturer GAC Motor is considering Ghana as a possible location for a new electric vehicle assembly plant. GAC already has a fuel car assembly plant in Nigeria with a capacity of 5,000 vehicles annually. The company launched two new-energy vehicles in Ethiopia in May and continues to expand its dealerships across Africa.  

  • While EV assembly in Africa is growing, production is mainly concentrated in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler segment. However, various car-makers are eyeing Africa’s potential for assembly.  

  • Decisions to go ahead will be influenced by the future availability of state subsidies. No immediate boom in EV car assembly is expected.  

  • Our take: To woo GAC and similar investors, Ghana would need to revise its tax code… Read more (2 min)

Ecobank inks deal for interest-free EV loans in Rwanda

Electric vehicle buyers in Rwanda can now access interest-free loans to purchase an EV of their choice, thanks to a new partnership between Ecobank Rwanda Plc and a local hybrid and EV distributor, Longtai International Automobile Trading. The interest-free offer is valid for two years — but customers may be repaying loans for up to five years.  

  • Financing for EVs in Africa often incurs interest rates as high as 40%, making ownership unattractive for many. This severely hampers the adoption of electric vehicles, despite growing interest in sustainable transport.

  • Interest-free EV loans are limited time offers often provided as part of marketing campaigns by financiers in partnership with EV dealers.

  • Our take: The 24-month window has proven effective in accelerating electric motorcycle adoption… Read more (2 min)

Petro Ivoire, one of Ivory Coast’s leading oil companies, has established 17 electric vehicle charging stations with 25 charging points. Last week, the company launched the country’s largest charging station with three 60 kW fast chargers and ten 22 kW slow chargers. The solar-powered site has batteries that can store up to 620 kWh of charge.  

  • Oil companies in Africa are increasingly investing in charging stations as the transition to EVs accelerates. Petro Ivoire is establishing charging stations at its existing network of fuel stations scattered across Ivory Coast. 

  • National oil companies like Petro Ivoire and multinationals like Shell, BP and TotalEnergies will play a key role in making EV charging widely available. They have the necessary capital and real estate. 

  • Our take: Expect to see more moves like this by wily operators with fuel pumps… Read more (2 min)

Electric Mobility Association of Kenya stakeholders gather for Q3 roundtable

Events

🗓️ Join Clean Mobility, Shared Solutions webinar (July 9)

🗓️ Plan for Uganda’s National E-mobility Expo (Sept 18)

🗓️ Attend Morocco Electric Mobility and After-Market Show (Sept 16)

Jobs

🛠️ Become a Manufacturing Engineer at Zembo (Uganda)

👨🏻‍💼 Apply for ESG Manager’s role at Spiro (Rwanda)

📋 Lead product planning at Shift EV (Egypt)

Various 

👨🏻‍💼 Sam Kulubya named country manager at eBee Uganda

🚘 The 2026 MG4 arrives in Egypt

🚀 eMo Mobility launches a new branch in Tanzania

Seen on LinkedIn 

Lumbumba Nyamayoka, Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, says, "Battery swapping systems do not need to be rolled out nationwide immediately. Instead, a phased approach can focus on places where electric vehicle activity is most concentrated."