Taxi drivers are set to benefit as Hava Net Limited a leading ride-hailing local company operating in the region acquires 200 Electric Vehicles and Solar vehicles, as its expansion strategy journey gets underway.
The firm says it opted to add EVs in its fleet as opposed to Fossil Fuel powered cars so as to conserve the environment and reduce costs cabs drivers incur on maintenance and fuel. It should see a driver save over Kes. 500 per day on fuel and Kes. 300 on maintenance. Their drivers will spend only Kes. 450 for 300 Km by going electric instead of 2,600 currently with a vehicle consuming 1 liter for every 18 Km. Unlike the other players in the market, the firm buys vehicles for its drivers which is a very good move and this will help drivers earn more per ride considering that no cost of fuel except minimal charging costs. With this, they seek to give the highest commission to drivers in the market.
In order to support taxi drivers, ride-hailing firms seek to acquire 1000 electric cars. To realize this goal the firm has inked a deal with Utu Cars for procurement of the first 200 electrical vehicles for the HAVA Green Project in a deal worth Kes. 420 million. These cars are fully electric and solarized and thus can either charge on solar or electricity. This comes at a time when the world is gearing towards electrical vehicles because of their environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness.
“We have agreed to acquire the initial solar and electric units of Utu Cars from Go Electric Limited as they match the standards we are looking for. These solar and electric cars will increase margins for drivers as they save on fuel and maintenance and hence earn at least twice because electric cars have fewer moving parts that will make the drivers take home twice as much as they did with the petrol-fueled cabs,” said Abdifatar Mohamoud Chief Executive Officer of HAVA Net Limited.
The running cost of an electric vehicle is much lower than an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle.
Electric vehicles use electricity to charge their batteries instead of using fossil fuels like petrol or diesel. Electric vehicles are more efficient, and that combined with the electricity cost means that charging an electric vehicle is cheaper than filling petrol or diesel for your travel requirements.
Using renewable energy sources can make the use of electric vehicles more eco-friendly. The electricity cost can be reduced further if charging is done with the help of renewable energy sources installed at home, such as solar panels.
Ms. Eve Maina Managing Director at Go Electric Ltd said; “These initial order will act us emissaries and we expect them to showcase and increase assurance and conviction in EVs to spur more uptake. The electric vehicles are a game changer in the East African market that has for long being dominated by fossil-fuel vehicles. They come with reduced running costs, cut the use of fuel, and reduction of operational costs. Thus, owners of the EV who want to venture into public transport will save more money than their counterparts, because of the no engine maintenance costs.”
Statistics indicate that EV sales are increasing slowly, but surely. In 2015 electric vehicles constituted three percent of the automotive market. In 2022, it was 15 percent. By 2025, the projection is 23 percent. Electric SUVs are selling like hotcakes. Almost every major automobile manufacturer today has at least one electric SUV model variant.
Shadrack Wangara Head of Growth Hava said, “We believe these Electrical and solar vehicles help us meet our sustainability goals, our company has a commitment to sustainability and we believe electric vehicles play a significant role in reducing carbon prints with every automaker going all in on electric and many exciting new products coming to the, we have placed our order and we are excited to expand and make it easier for consumers to make the transition to Electrical mobility.’’
EVs are regarded as one of the most significant modern cost-cutting innovations, owing to the reduction of running costs of both fuel and associated engine maintenance costs. Owners of solar and electric vehicles, particularly those who will operate public transportation, will earn more money as they transition away from fossil fuel vehicles due to a reduction in operation costs.
