Simba Corporation-owned vehicle assembler Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) has announced it will assemble 130 electric vehicles from Chinese electric automaker BuildYour Dreams (BYD) by 2024.
Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) will import car parts of 130 electric cars from BYD and assemble them locally from its operations in Kenya in a move expected to accelerate the development of sustainable transport in Kenya.
“The advantage of working with BYD is that they are one of the world’s leaders in electric mobility with modern automotive technology devices,” said Matt Lloyd, AVA’s executive director.
The partnership might help BYD launch rapidly in Africa as it’s considering acquiring lithium mines in Africa. Lithium is a key battery metal for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. BYD aims to produce up to 27.78 million batteries for its plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle ranges by 2029. There are speculations that the firm is looking for a key distribution partner in Kenya and Rwanda for a launch later this year or early next year.
