NAIROBI, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's efforts to decarbonize its transportation sector are beginning to pay off, as the East African nation continues to see a steady rise in the number of electric vehicles (EVs), a regulatory authority said Monday.
Between July and December 2023, a record 2,694 new EVs were registered in the country, raising the total number to 3,753, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) said.
"The increase in registered EVs is attributed to government initiatives such as the introduction of the e-mobility tariff, reduction of excise duty on EVs from 20 percent to 10 percent, and exemption of fully electric cars from value-added tax," the EPRA said in its latest report on the industry released on Monday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
Kenya created a framework for electric vehicle charging and battery swapping infrastructure in September 2023 to accelerate EV adoption and ensure the establishment of safe, reliable, accessible and affordable charging services.
As of December 2023, EVs constituted only 1.62 percent of the 165,913 vehicles registered in Kenya that year, with the country aiming to reach 5 percent by 2025, said the EPRA.
The institution observed that during the reviewed period, energy consumption by the electric mobility consumer category surged by 160 percent, rising from 29,097 kWh in July 2023 to 75,729 kWh in December 2023.
The EPRA attributed part of this to a rise in the registered number of vehicles as well as the introduction of a special tariff for e-mobility.
The country's energy mix is highly conducive to supporting e-mobility, with almost 85 percent of energy generation sourced from renewable channels, the EPRA said. ■