Greening transport in Ghana: Transforming mobility with electric vehicles

Ghana’s transportation faces challenges like inefficiency, unreliable infrastructure, and poor road conditions due to urban overpopulation. Conventional transport heavily depends on fossil fuels, causing pollution. FSDAi investee Persistent Energy Capital supports SolarTaxi, an electric vehicle manufacturer in Ghana.

SolarTaxi is on a mission to tackle these pressing problems by
designing, assembling, selling, and leasing low-cost electric solarpowered vehicles. Led by CEO Jorge Appiah, SolarTaxi has emerged as a leader in the electric transportation industry in Ghana since its inception in 2018. The company offers electric two-wheel and fourwheel vehicles for transportation and delivery services.

SolarTaxi has implemented multi-city operations and set up an assembly plant in Accra, Ghana. Local engineers assemble the company’s products using imported and locally sourced components and materials. This strategy allows SolarTaxi to achieve a 40% cost reduction, making their electric vehicles competitively priced compared to imported alternatives and similar to the cost of used foreign vehicles. The company has directly generated over 100 fulltime jobs, and the vehicles contribute to job creation. For instance, producing ten bikes daily equates to creating one delivery job.

SolarTaxi is revolutionising transportation and empowering the local community through initiatives such as the driver training academy. This academy offers extensive training, covering electric vehicle operation, traffic laws, maintenance, and the benefits of clean transportation, with a focus on empowering women. SolarTaxi plans solar charging stations to support increased electric vehicle usage as the market expands. The company has secured contracts to supply solar electric buses to Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, establishing itself as Africa’s premier sustainable transportation firm. Additionally, the upcoming SolarCampus app will connect university students to e-transportation services and e-bike deliveries, fostering environmental consciousness among the youth.

SolarTaxi’s electric vehicles, renowned for their efficiency, reliability, and incorporation of smart technologies like GPS and real-time tracking, have gained significant traction among car rental firms, couriers, and e-hailing services. Notable customers in Ghana, including Jumia and Bolt, utilise SolarTaxi’s electric bikes for efficient and eco-friendly customer order deliveries in Accra.

With funding support from FSDAi investee firm Persistent Energy Capital, SolarTaxi is spearheading the greening of transport in Ghana and driving sustainable mobility solutions across Africa. SolarTaxi addresses Ghana’s transportation challenges while creating economic opportunities, reducing pollution, and empowering women in the tech sector. SolarTaxi’s expansion of its operations and product offerings will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of sustainable transportation on the continent.