Simba Corporation has delivered the first of the all-electric Mahindra XUV400 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) to Kenya Power.
The two electric vehicles are part of six that have been acquired by Kenya Power this year. The company plans to further expand its fleet to nine electric vehicles and twenty five electric motorcycles by December 2024.
With Kenya rapidly emerging as a leader in EV adoption in Africa, the country has seen a significant increase in the number of EVs on the road. The number is currently estimated at about 2,100 ranging from two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers. This initiative aligns with global environmental goals and promises economic benefits by reducing reliance on imported fuel and enhancing energy security.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, David Mugambi, Head of Transport at Kenya Power said, “At over 92% green generation, Kenya Power has one of the cleanest energy distributions on the planet. In light of environmental concerns and our need to be carbon neutral, reducing emissions within the transport space is crucial. This therefore marks an important milestone in our EV journey, which started close to eight years ago with the transition to electric material handling equipment at our yards and warehouses.”
On his part, Naresh Leekha, Group Managing Director of Simba Corporation’s Motors Division noted, “Simba Corporation has always been at the forefront of bringing innovative products to the Kenyan auto-mobile market. The whole world today is talking about bringing in environment-friendly vehicles and today we have delivered the first two Mahindra XUV400 SUVs to Kenya Power, one of the first customers to embrace the Mahindra Electric SUVs in Kenya.”
Speaking of Kenya’s readiness to transition to EV, Mugambi explained that the country has enough energy to support significant EV growth over the next five years. He noted that with the current installed capacity of 3, 246 Megawatts (MW) way above peak demand at 2300MW, and an off-peak load of 1,100 MW as of December 2023.
“Kenya’s readiness for EV mobility is underscored by a substantial clean energy capacity. We have adequate energy to power the the electric mobility space for the next five years when we expect at the current rate to outstrip our current demand. This transition could also help reduce energy costs and improve the quality of life in Kenya by utilizing local energy sources,” he added.