Nigeria and Kenya are taking bold steps in Africa’s transition to electric mobility, leading the production of electric vans and minibuses assembled from Chinese kits.
In Nigeria, Lagos-based electric vehicle company Saglev has begun assembling 18-seater electric passenger vans using kits supplied by Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Corporation.
The company is positioning itself as a major player in West Africa’s EV market, with plans to produce up to 2,500 vehicles annually and introduce 17 different electric models.
Saglev is a joint venture involving Nigeria’s Stallion Group and China’s Sokon Motor, reflecting growing collaboration between African and Chinese auto manufacturers.
To tackle Nigeria’s power supply challenges, the company is also investing in solar-powered charging stations to support vehicle operations.
Industry players say the shift to electric vans could significantly reduce operating costs.
Charging an electric van for a 200-kilometre journey reportedly costs about $3, compared to over $15 in petrol for conventional vehicles a difference that could reshape public transportation economics in the country.
In Kenya, Rideence Africa has signed a $2.46 million agreement with Mombasa-based Associated Vehicle Assemblers to locally assemble electric taxis and minibuses.
The vehicles will be produced using kits sourced from Chinese firms Jiangsu Joylong and Beijing Henrey Automobile Technology.
The partnership has established Kenya’s first dedicated electric vehicle assembly line, marking a significant milestone for the country’s automotive sector.
Electric vans and minibuses remain central to public transport systems across Africa, long dominated by petrol and diesel-powered models.
By shifting toward local EV assembly, both Nigeria and Kenya aim to reduce fuel dependency, cut emissions, create jobs, and lower vehicle costs through domestic production.
With two of Africa’s largest economies now at the forefront of electric vehicle assembly, the continent’s mobility landscape appears to be steadily moving toward a more sustainable future.
Electric vans and minibuses are central to public transport across Africa, where Japanese models such as the Toyota Hiace and Nissan vans dominate the roads, carrying passengers and goods.
EV charging costs average about $3 for up to 200 kilometres compared with more than $15 in petrol costs for similar distances.
“The assembly of electric vans is emerging as a strong market segment,” said Dennis Wakaba, the secretary-general of the Electric Mobility Association of Kenya.
“Earlier, the cost of electric vans was high, putting off operators. But as local assembly scales up, these costs have dropped, attracting more orders.”
Kenya has one of Africa’s most active electric mobility markets, with startups assembling buses and vans and deploying them for public transport and ride-hailing.
Ethiopia and South Africa also have entered the market. In Ethiopia, Belayneh Kinde Group assembles about 150 minibuses a month using Chinese components.
To make EVs more affordable, companies like Rideence are adopting pay-as-you-drive and lease-to-own options that let operators avoid expensive initial payments. It leases its taxis to drivers for about $18 per day.
BasiGo-Kenya Vehicle Manufacturer, which also is expanding into electric vans assembly, requires operators of its EVs to pay a deposit and then about 20 US cents per kilometre driven.
That approach fits with financial realities for transport operators in Africa, where access to credit is limited and few can afford to purchase new vehicles outright.
“These innovative financing models mitigate risks for both assembler and operators, helping put vehicles on the road faster. With these, we expect to see more e-vans taking a larger share of the African transport systems,” Wakaba said.
Still, there are only about 30,000 EVs in Africa, compared with millions of gas and diesel-fuelled vehicles, latest figures from the Africa Mobility Alliance shows.
The continent manufactured only 1.1 million vehicles in all last year, 90 per cent of them in Morocco and South Africa.
