Kenya has been making strides towards the transition to a carbon neutral future especially in the automotive sector. In line with this goal, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has announced plans for public charging stations along highways.
According to EPRA’s new battery charging standards for electric cars (EVs), charging stations will be positioned every 25 kilometers on highways. These new stations will add to the 350 charging spots already available in Kenya as of last year.
“At least one charging station should be available in a grid of three kilometres by three kilometres. Additionally, one charging station shall be set up at every 25 kilometres on both sides of highways/roads” the regulator says.
In addition, for long-distance EVs, like SUVs and heavy-duty vehicles such as buses and trucks, will benefit from at least one fast-charging station with sufficient charging infrastructure every 100 kilometers, one on each side of the road.
“Within cities, such charging facilities for heavy-duty EVs shall be located within bus stops. The swapping facilities are also not mandatory within cities for buses or trucks,” Epra said.
Kenya Power has awarded charging stations a discounted power price of Sh17 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) as the utility firm prepares itself to capitalize on the growing acceptance of EVs to enhance its electricity sales.
The electricity company further revealed that an average minibus operating in Nairobi uses roughly Sh2,400 in energy per day. The company stated that they have the capacity to charge 50,000 buses and two million motorcycles every day.