The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has announced that the number of electric vehicles (EVs has increased in a bid to decarbonize its transportation sector.
In a report released on Monday, EPRA revealed that a record 2,694 new EVs were registered in the country between July and December 2023, raising the total number to 3,753.
“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.”
In September 2023, Kenya created a framework for electric vehicle charging and battery swapping infrastructure to accelerate EV adoption and establish 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.
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Further, EPRA revealed 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 and the introducing 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.
