Chinese car brands are making inroads into the African market, slowly building their customer base in countries where second-hand vehicles control a large segment of the transport sector.
Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) are quite the buzz in a number of African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana in West Africa and Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia in Eastern Africa.
Chinese technology is making it possible for Kenyans to buy new electric vehicles (EVs) from one local assembler at a price comparable to a high-end Mac computer – the HK-EV by Hong Kong (HK) Motors in Nairobi sells for $5000. The HK-EV is the first model designed for the African market but is also available in China with slightly different specifications.
However, while buying a new Chinese EV may be out of reach for many Kenyans, this has not limited local innovations offering solutions to help them transition from expensive ICE vehicles.
In the classic car sector, EV tech from Chinese brands is driving innovation as many Kenyan drivers seek to shift from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to renewable energy ones.
An electrical engineer driven by passion, Joe Gakuru works on vehicles with various Chinese EV components, including batteries. His early tinkering with electronics and batteries has led him on a path that laid the foundation for the establishment of Qtron Industries transforming it from a modest e-waste recycling company into a trailblazer in e-mobility and energy solutions.
Self-taught in reverse engineering, he combined this knowledge with his deep love for green energy and innovation, paving the way for his journey into the EV and energy storage sectors. At Qtron, Gakuru and his team also repair and build batteries and retrofit ICE vehicles and motorbikes into EVs.
Sources: China-Global South Project,
China Environment News 