Imagine waking up on a cold morning and driving to work and no noisy engines are rumbling in traffic. Your car has a silent engine that can help tackle the issue of noise pollution which often causes hearing loss, high blood pressure, disturbed sleep and stress.
Dressed, you have a very busy schedule for the day, rather than queue endlessly at the petrol stations for petrol, you park your car at the office, there are stress-free charging stations for your car. At home, there is another charging station while you rest from ticking the boxes of a productive day.
You shared this experience of what looks like a possibility in the distant future to friends and they are puzzled the future is indeed here.
“We are innovating for the future,” says O.Paul Andrew the executive chairman, of BlackPace Group, in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay.
BlackPace Group is championing the gospel of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to run on the Nigerian road, with zero emissions.
BlackPace Group faces a herculean task.
In Africa’s biggest economy, every time the discussion of an electric vehicle being driven on Nigeran roads shows in media, a popular recurring sarcastic comment from many Nigerians is that electric cars generally shouldn’t be used on the continent yet.
The popular remarks are that Nigeria is currently struggling with an average of less than 5000 MW for its over 200 million population. “Where would we get light to power the cars”.
But Andrew believes BlackPace can lead Africa’s most populous country into a new era of mobility.
Read also: Renewables, EVs, heat pumps restrain CO2 emissions in 2022 – IEA
“Our final goal is to establish the Tesla of Africa in Nigeria,” Andrew said.
He vowed, “We are currently setting up supercharging stations at different parks and filling stations; We will replicate Tesla’s vision in Nigeria”.
“Electric car is the future, not gas-powered vehicle,” Andrew added.
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which is presumed to be cheaper than petrol, is one alternative that has become the talk of the town.
Already, the federal government is taking steps to ensure CNG-powered buses are made available to alleviate the cost burden of public transportation. Private vehicle owners are also exploring the option of converting their vehicles to use CNG.
However, as the global price of petrol and gas is somewhat linked to the price of oil, an increase in the price of oil can lead to an increase in the price of petrol and gas.
With more frequent climate-related disasters such as floods, forest fires, fogging, extreme heat, etc., there has been an increased demand for decarbonization, especially from the West.
Experts said investment in producing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles powered by diesel, petrol, or CNG-powered vehicles has been frowned upon.
Although hydrogen-powered vehicles are viewed as one of the clean energy transportation options, electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining global recognition as a critical transportation option of the future.
So why should you start thinking of getting an electric vehicle?
Global movement
Electric vehicle sales have been growing exponentially, and several countries are showing it’s possible to scale up EV sales fast enough to meet climate goals. Netherlands, one of them is a major buyer of Nigerian crude, a development that puts a clock on the resource.
The challenge for Nigeria is that as it struggles to lift oil production, it could find that its market is fast receding. Worse still, time is running out for oil.
The global electric vehicle (EV) sector is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.9 per cent between 2023 and 2035, according to a new report from data and analytics company GlobalData, Power Technology’s parent company.
Broken down by vehicle type, the report finds that the passenger EV market is expected to register a CAGR of 26.1 percent during this period, while the commercial EV sector is predicted to grow 15 per cent during the same time frame.
In developed countries, many electric car owners hardly utilize public charging stations that often as their home charging stations become their primary charging source.
Read also: Prospects for electric vehicle utilization in Nigeria
Nigerian market
“As a leader in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria plays a significant role in this shift,” Andrew said in an interview from an office in Ikoyi.
With a growing economy, Andrew believes Nigeria is ready for a transition in auto experience with the product demonstration and use of electric vehicles.
Andrew said that EVs are affordable, need less maintenance and do not require frequent charging. He said in the area of charging, a fully charged car can travel for as long as 300 kilometres on a full charge.
“You do not need to charge your car every day, all you require is to charge the car about once or twice per week.
“It also takes about four hours with a level two charger to fully charge a car and this can be done while you sleep,” he added.
Experts said one of the primary hurdles to EV adoption is the unavailability of the infrastructure needed to support the purchase, such as charging units, and energy, as well as the lack of technical skills to operate EVs.
To change the narrative BlackPace Group in Partnership with Ardova Plc AP Renewables is rolling out FastCharging Network in selected locations in Nigeria.
Read also: EVs targets 56% selected LCV markets by 2040
“BlackPace EV FastCharger Pulse 50 is the first fast charger in Nigeria. The first of its kind in Africa, the product demonstration will revolutionise the auto landscape on the continent with value delivery,” Andrew said.
He noted that selected Ardova retail stations, partner hotels, and top recreational facilities will provide charging infrastructure for the Electric Vehicles, with showrooms, aftersales, repair and maintenance services.
“You plug it in at night and by morning you have a full battery, just like you do to your phone,” Andrew added.
Establishing charging networks is usually the first step Tesla will take before directly selling cars into a market, setting up showrooms and rolling out service centres.
“Opening the Supercharger network will allow Tesla to study the demand, and to demonstrate their global ambitions, by making it possible to drive Tesla not only in rich countries but now also in developing countries as well,” Andrew said.
Tesla is the world’s most valuable automaker with a market cap of about $800 billion, and Elon Musk remains the richest person in the world.
“Our expansion plan is to rapidly plant charging stations across African cities and African highways, making it easier for both individuals and corporations to adopt the EV because they are more likely to buy an EV if they know they can have access to charging stations,” Ajaere concluded.
