Uganda, like many a global south country, faces significant challenges in her transport sector, principal among which, is air pollution from the emissions concomitant with fossil fuel combustion.
Embracing e-mobility thus presents a promising solution characterised by the transition from traditional fossil-fuel-based internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs).
Uganda’s transport landscape is dominated by aging fuel-inefficient ICE vehicles, heavily reliant on fossil fuels. The resultant emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels generate air pollution, which has the aggregate effects of depreciating air quality, exacerbating health, especially respiratory problems and environmental degradation in Uganda.
Transitioning to e-mobility advances several advantages. EVs are environmentally friendly, producing zero tailpipe emissions and truncating Uganda’s carbon footprint. They are also more energy-efficient in comparison with their internal combustion engine counterparts, potentially lowering overall energy consumption and widening the latitude for energy savings and tangential benefits.
Additionally, EVs have lower operational costs over their lifespan, with benefits at both micro and macro-economic levels to individual owners and the national economy, through reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.
To popularise and incentivise e-mobility in Uganda, a multifaceted approach is imperative. Firstly, the Uganda government must deliberately embark on accelerated enabling infrastructural development. Accelerating the installation of robust charging infrastructure will go a long way in enhancing e-mobility in Uganda through installing public charging stations in urban centres and along major highways, supported by renewable energy sources such as solar power.
We must also employ financial incentives like tax breaks, import duty exemptions, and subsidies for EV purchases so as to optimally address the otherwise forbidding upfront costs for consumers. These incentives will stimulate demand and encourage manufacturers to invest in the local e-mobility market.
Also, there is a need to embark on inter-sectoral nation-wide e-mobility awareness campaigns. Educating stakeholders and the general public about the benefits of e-mobility will dispel myths about EVs, spotlight their environmental advantages, and showcase successful case studies from other economies.
Finally, we must cultivate a conducive eco-system for the deployment and uptake of EVs through adopting and implementing an enabling legal, regulatory and policy framework.
Developing clear regulations and standards for EV adoption ensures safety, reliability, and interoperability of charging infrastructure.
In addition, integrating EV considerations into urban planning and transport policies can facilitate a smoother transition towards sustainable mobility solutions.
Moreover, Uganda has taken some commendable steps already, through Kiira Motors Corporation and the National e-Mobility Strategy which was adopted in November 2023, with the mission of creating a robust, self-sustaining, and competitive e-mobility ecosystem in Uganda.
This strategy envisions a Uganda fully transitioned to e-mobility in public transport and motorcycles by 2030 and passenger vehicle sales by 2040.
The progress notwithstanding, some Gordian knots abide. These include inadequate charging infrastructure, limited e-mobility human capital, limited energy access and power supply reliability, perceived high cost of EVs compared to ICE vehicles, limited access to financing and limited e-mobility knowledge and awareness.
Overcoming these barriers requires unfaltering commitment from the government, the private sector, and development partners to propagate the requisite ecosystem for e-mobility.
By and large, embracing e-mobility in Uganda is a technological shift and a pathway to sustainable development.
Popularising and incentivising e-mobility, could help Uganda achieve her emission reduction aspirations, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and create new economic opportunities in the green energy sector.
E-mobility can pave the way for a healthier, decarbonised, and more efficient transport system that benefits both present and future generations.
Howard Mwesigwa
Team Leader – energy, environment and sustainability
Kalikumutima & Co. Advocates
[email protected]
