Nigeria’s EV push gains momentum as two firms seal N25bn deal for 1,000 commercial vehicles

Hybrid Motors Nigeria and DriveMe Mobility have entered into a ₦25 billion strategic partnership to deploy 1,000 brand-new electric cars into Nigeria’s commercial ride-hailing market, representing a significant fleet electrification initiative targeted at working drivers in West Africa, according to a statement.

The partnership pairs Hybrid Motors Nigeria’s vehicle manufacturing, charging, and energy infrastructure with DriveMe Mobility’s proprietary mobility technology and driver development infrastructure to deliver sustainable livelihoods for Nigerian commercial drivers while advancing the country’s transition to clean transport.

“Nigeria’s commercial drivers have been locked into ageing, fuel-heavy vehicles they will never own, squeezed by rising costs with little prospect of financial security. This partnership changes the narrative through a drive-to-own model that puts brand-new electric vehicles in the hands of professional drivers, underpinned by structured capacity building, intelligent credit assessment, and a transparent earning model built around their success.”

The partnership, the statement further said also focuses on removing major infrastructure challenges that impede wider penetration of electric vehicles into the local mobility space. Notably, unreliable grid power and the near-total absence of dedicated charging networks have made commercial EV adoption impractical at scale.

The partnership addresses that challenge directly. To power the fleet, Hybrid Motors Nigeria is deploying 8 mega charging stations — comprising 96 charging units and 192 charging guns, with the capacity to charge up to 2,300 vehicles daily. Powered substantially by solar energy, these stations generate clean, renewable power independent of the national grid, removing the reliability and cost barriers that have historically constrained EV adoption.

Speaking about the initiative, Damilola Odunlade-Akeju, Founder and CEO of DriveMe Mobility Limited, in the statement said, “This partnership is about more than putting vehicles on the road. Every driver we deploy is prepared not just to operate a vehicle, but to build a livelihood from it. We are creating sustainable economic opportunity at scale and Hybrid Motors is delivering the vehicle and energy infrastructure to make it real.”

Precisely, under the partnership arrangement, Hybrid Motors Nigeria supplies, maintains, and powers the fleet, while DriveMe manages the full driver lifecycle that includes acquisition, credit scoring, certification, and daily operations, through DriveMe’s proprietary collections and performance technology.

“We are not just putting cars on the road — we are building the vehicles, the energy, and the infrastructure that make clean commercial mobility work in Nigeria,” said Jubril Arogundade, Chief Executive Officer of Hybrid Motors Nigeria.

He added, “From manufacturing to charging to aftersales, every vehicle we deploy is backed by world-class technology and operational discipline. This is how you build something that lasts.”