Electric cars make inroads on local market




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The country is developing a vibrant electric vehicle market, with several dealers making inroads through a diverse range of models in pursuit of a green economy by the year 2030.

The acquisition and subsequent launch of an electric vehicle (EV) for education and awareness campaign by the country’s energy regulator ZERA a fortnight ago, is believed to be the first by any regulatory authority on the African continent.

This comes at a time when local players are making significant strides in closing the gap with modern economies in the adoption of an EV.

A representative of a company operating in Harare, Jackie Mathemba describes the future of the country’s EV market as bright.

“There is huge interest in EVs on the local market whereby several EV models continue to come into the Zimbabwean market. We can see that the world is gravitating towards mobility hence our conservative estimates are that in five years there will be significant activity in that regard.”

A technician at the company, Mr Stanley Mahwite demonstrated the features that have made EVs the way to go for modern smart transport.

“EVs continue to be a game-changer in the way they operate because they do not require fuel and have less moving parts as one only has to service the car after thirty thousand kilometres.”

However, a thirty-year-old electric vehicle fanatic, Tanaka Kutama who has so far sold over thirty Japanese made EVs locally called for the introduction of incentives to trigger the adoption of EVs in Zimbabwe.

“There is a need for the government to come up with environmental rebates whereby any imports of EVs do not pay duty. This will lower the cost of EVs because at the moment the cost is a bit prohibitive so there is need for enticements for the purchase of these cars.”

Mr Kutama noted that with its vast lithium deposits, Zimbabwe has a big chance to become a powerhouse in the production of lithium-ion batteries, a key component in EVs.

EVs have become popular, with other countries having set a target to stop production of fossil fuel cars by the year 2025. – ZBC