Liberia to become one of the first West-African countries with electric vehicles
By starting a pilot wherein they bring solar driven kekehs (three wheeler vehicles) to the streets of Monrovia, Liberia's capital, they hope many other cities in the West-African region will follow by example.
If you've visited one of Africa's many vibrant cities before, you know. Noisy streets are packed with people and vendors, while traffic is jammed. This provides an authentic and fascinating scenery, but, unfortunately, it frequently results in a heavily polluted environment. Imagine walking the streets of an African metropolis, surrounded by everything that makes the city unique, but without the noise and pollution caused by (public) traffic. Emergi aims to achieve just that. By starting a pilot wherein they bring solar driven kekehs (three wheeler vehicles) to the streets of Monrovia, Liberia's capital, they hope many other cities in the West-African region will follow by example.
The promise of electric auto rickshaws is overwhelming. They lead to reduced carbon dioxide emissions, cleaner air, less noise in the streets and extra income for the drivers. Countries like India and Sri Lanka have been successful markets for the introduction of these electric auto rickshaws as they offer affordable and convenient ways of transportation. In recent years the West African market for gasoline-powered auto rickshaws - called kekehs in Liberia - has been surging. They are swiftly shooting through the zigzagging streets. Now it is time to introduce kekehs that run on clean energy, are more reliable and more affordable. We believe that this renewable energy solution will create massive economic and social impact.
Emergi is a Dutch renewable energy company which develops renewable energy products that generate economic and social value in developing markets. The company kicks off the campaign as rampant fuel shortages challenge drivers throughout Liberia's capital, Monrovia, and beyond. After thorough market research amongst kekeh drivers and other actors in the renewable energy and transport sector in Liberia, Emergi is confident that the electric kehkeh's will improve both the cost of ownership and driver experience, while reducing noise and air pollution in the city.
With this project Liberia will become one of the first countries with electric vehicles in West Africa. The tested innovations will be included into our business operations, scaled up and introduced in other African countries. This will lead to future quality jobs for (female) drivers, mechanics, EV and renewable energy experts, and IT specialists.
In order to turn this ambitions into reality, in 2020 Emergi is planning to pilot its first generation of completely electric Kekehs (three wheeler vehicles) in the West African country of Liberia. To kickstart the project Emergi has launched a crowdfunding campaign, to gain public support and bring innovative renewable energy solutions to Liberia's transportation sector. Through this campaign, Emergi aims to raise € 10,000.-. With every € 3,500.- collected, Emergi can put an extra electric kekeh, with solar charging, on the road.
In case you'd like to learn more, you can visit Emergi for more details. Further, in order to make it even more fun, they have developed a wide range of rewards in line with their crowdfunding campaign, such as workshops, honorary mentions and exclusive merchandise with their unique E-Kekeh artwork. Help them create jobs and higher income in Liberia while supporting Africa's energy transition!
Credit - thebrightc.com
