Are Rwanda Electric Vehicles the Future of Self Drive?

Rwanda just like other countries is beginning to embrace the use of electric vehicles majorly for environmental protection purposes. According to the International Travel Agency, transportation is responsible for 24% of global direct carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion and road vehicles account to nearly three quarters of transport Co2 emissions and are the leading contributors to climate change and air pollution especially in cities. Let us explore some of the factors that make Rwanda Electric Vehicles a preferred choice in the future.

Approximately 90% of us breath polluted air and 7 million people die from pollution related cases every year. Because of this the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA) is taking advantage of the new EV technology to mitigate air pollution.

The government of Rwanda with support from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is shifting to electric vehicles by speeding the rollout of electric motor bikes and three wheelers.
The government has also introduced tax exemptions for anyone importing electric vehicles and their spare parts. As of today, Rwanda has close to 900locally made electric vehicles and has become targeted by global EV manufactures like Volkswagen.

Rwanda has the first electric Volkswagen in Africa. Electric vehicles are the future of self drive in Rwanda because of the sky rocketing fuel prices world wide among other factors.

Environmental friendly

Since pollution has become a major global concern, electric vehicles are a much better option. Research shows that electric vehicles are safer for the environment than petrol cars which emit green house gases leading to climatic change and serious health conditions among people.
On the other hand, EV’s emit less gases and cause less damage to the environment. According to the European Energy agency Research, driving an electric car emits 17-30% fewer carbon emissions than driving a gasoline or petrol vehicle. This makes electric vehicles a more preferable choice for a country like Rwanda whose long term goal is to be a carbon neutral country as articulated in its vision 2050.

Less noise

Rwanda Electric Vehicles are also quieter that gasoline cars. This is because they don’t have an internal combustion engine which makes noise as the cylinder pressure changes. The only noise made by EVs comes from their tyres and wind resistance while driving. This means that Rwanda anticipates quieter highways and cities with less noise pollution especially when there’s traffic jam. This will definitely make self driving in Rwanda more peaceful and enjoyable.

Maintenance and Servicing

Since electric vehicles have fewer mechanical parts, they don’t require as much servicing and maintenance as petrol or diesel cars. Also their batteries, motor and associated electronics require little to no regular maintenance. EVs also have fewer fluids such as engine oils that require regular changing.

The brake wear is significantly reduced due to regenerative braking and there are fewer moving parts compared to diesel or petrol cars. In Rwanda, it is expensive to maintain and service cars therefore a future with cars that don’t require regular maintenance is bright.

Fuel Requirements

Electric cars are often cheaper to run compared to gasoline cars because of their energy efficiency. The US environmental Protection Agency estimates that the electric Kia EV6 would cost 550 dollars to fuel over the year while the gasoline-powered Kia K5 would cost 1950 dollars to fuel.

This estimate is based on its mileage of 15,000miles per year and current electricity and fuel prices. Electricity that’s powers EVs can be got from different sources for example burning coal, fossils, running water, wind or solar. Gasoline on the other had is largely imported and prices keep fluctuating and are sometimes extremely high. This makes EVs more reliable for self in the future.
In terms of vehicle selection, gasoline cars still come in handy with hundreds of different models offered.

There are only about 30 purely EV models offered by manufacturers to choose from although over the years, there will be a variety to choose from. Because of the advantages Rwanda Electric Vehicles have over gasoline cars, they are definitely the future of Rwanda car rentals.