Kenya import rules for electric cars and motorcycles being drafted
Wednesday December 27 2017
An electric car on display during the opening of the Sustainable Energy Expo in Nairobi on March 29, 2017. Kenya is drafting standards that will specify requirements related to protection of drivers and passengers against electric shocks. FILE PHOTO | NATION
Kenya is developing standards for imported electric vehicles and motorcycles, to ensure they are environmentally friendly and safe.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) said that only automobiles that do not emit carbon monoxide and other noxious substances will be permitted into the country.
In developing the standards, KEBS is taking into account adaptability of batteries to high ambient temperature, compatibility to power vehicles in hot and humid climate without exploding due to overheating.
The standards will specify requirements related to protection of drivers and passengers against electric shocks. The regulator will also specify a test procedure to determine the electric range and electric energy consumption of the vehicles.
Other standards are the vehicle ability to withstand dusty conditions and safety in case of impact.
The process has begun with consultations and is likely to be concluded by June 2018, said KEBS corporate communications manager Patricia Kimanthi.
This comes as hybrid automobiles start entering the market while some European and Asian countries plan to phase out the use of petrol or diesel propelled engines.
Incentives
Many countries have come up with incentives for buying electric cars. Energy Co-Invest of Canada is building an electric car assembly plant in Ethiopia and expects to start operations by 2019, targeting exports to Kenya and Uganda.
“We would like to complete a review in early 2018 to have our first production run by year end or early 2019. Dates may shift due to various planning and operational inputs,” said Energy Co-invest chief executive Jordan Oxley.
In Morocco, Warren Buffett has backed China’s Build Your Dreams (BYD) Motors Inc to produce electric vehicles. Royal Dutch Shell has forecast electric and hybrid engine vehicles will account for about a quarter of automobiles globally in 2040 despite currently constituting only a fraction of the current 1 billion fleet of cars.
Infrastructure
The director-general National Transport and Safety Authority Francis Meja said development of standards has to be complemented by rolling out of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and motorcycles to reduce environmental pollution.
“The country will train more people on maintenance of hybrid and electric vehicles as the number of cars increases. A market for provision of spare parts needs to be developed to realise long term benefits of the shift,” he said.
South Africa currently has about 100 charging points at dealerships, homes of electric vehicle owners and retail outlets. Jaguar plans to introduce its first electric vehicle in the country by the end of 2018 or early 2019 and Audi in 2019.
Nigus Enfinity an indigenous Nigerian company also working with BYD plans to introduce electric cars in the country in 2018 and establish a local assembly plant in 2020.