Chinese firms struggle to find buyers ANALYSIS | TOM STACEY | China’s automotive industry has revolutionised over the past decade, from producing basic western clones to making cars that equal the world’s best. As the manufacturing powerhouse of the world, China is also producing them in huge volumes. However, Chinese cars …
Read More »Electric fence rekindles love for elephants
Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Elephants used to be a nuisance for most residents living in the farming village of Kyenzaza in Kirugu sub-county in Rubirizi, one of the seven districts that border Queen Elizabeth National Park. But, following the construction of an electric fence along the park boundary in …
Read More »East Africa’s cross-border electric trains set to speed up intra-African trade
East Africa’s cross-border electric railway line plans are upping the competition for cargo business in the region and helping the region tap a US$3 trillion single market opportunity Dar ea Salaam, Tanzania | BIRD AGENCY | Tanzania and Burundi have floated a tender for designing and constructing an electrified railway …
Read More »EVs: Why African govts are reducing tax on eco-friendly cars
A number of African governments are introducing tax cuts and other incentives to boost the e-mobility industry and drive the demand for eco-friendly vehicles Tunis, Tunisia | BIRD AGENCY | Tunisia has become the latest country to introduce e-mobility incentives as governments across Africa bet on tax breaks and other …
Read More »UNDP praises Uganda for Kiira Motors and drive to E-mobility
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The United Nations Development Programme – UNDP has described as ‘promising’ Uganda’s speedy transition towards electric mobility as a lasting solution to the supply shocks of fossil fuel and its hazards. E-mobility is a concept of using electric powertrain technologies, in-vehicle information, and communication technologies and …
Read More »E-car sales in Norway reach new record high in 2019
Oslo, Norway | AFP | Sales of new electric cars in Norway hit a record high last year, sector experts said Friday, reaching 42.4 percent of all nearly-registered cars in 2019, mostly thanks to strong demand for Tesla’s Model 3. Norway, a major oil producer that has pioneered electric mobility, …
Read More »Toyota, Panasonic announce electric car battery tie-up
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Toyota announced on Tuesday it was creating a joint venture with Panasonic to develop batteries for electric cars, as the Japanese auto giant ramps up its ambitions for electric-powered vehicles. The firm will be set up by 2020 and controlled 51-49 percent by Toyota, the Prius …
Read More »Rwanda goes for electric trains to Dar
Kampala, Uganda | INDEPENDENT TEAM & AGENCIES | Rwanda and Tanzania have agreed to review the design of Isaka-Kigali standard gauge railway. They have dropped the proposed use of diesel engines in favour of electric locomotives. The line is proposed to link the Tanzanian port of Dar-es-Salaam and Kigali; a stretch of …
Read More »Tanzania to buy 19 electric trains
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Tanzania has floated a multimillion dollar tender for 19 electric trains to be used on the standard gauge railway (SGR) which is under construction, according to the regional newspaper, The EastAfrican. State-run railway firm Reli Assets Holding Company (Rahco) is seeking the supply of …
Read More »World gears up for electric cars despite bumps in road
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Technological advances mean fossil fuel in cars could be phased out within decades but switching to electric carries its own environmental and economic concerns as more and more countries announce radical plans. Britain on Wednesday said it would “end the sale of all conventional petrol …
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