By Eddah Waithaka
MojaEV Ltd, a new player in the automotive industry, has entered the Kenyan market with its first electric vehicles. The company is targeting taxi drivers as part of its expansion strategy.
The Neta range of electric vehicles, which includes SUVs and mid-size cars, will be fully launched in mid-June.
For just 500 or 700 Kenyan shillings, the NETA V model can travel up to 380 kilometres on a full charge.
It also has a fast charging time of 30 minutes from 30 to 80 per cent. “This car comes with two chargers that you get with the car,” said the marketing manager Annette Githinji during an interview.
The car further has a configuration of a 14.6-inch touch screen and has a capacity of five passangers.
In addition, Githinji explained that the company plans to integrate the car with Uber’s apps and to collaborate on the same once the Uber Drivers and Taxi Association takes up the idea.
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“We are thinking of integrating it to the Uber apps, just like the way there is electric boda in the application,” she said.
The EV maker also mentioned that they are seeking partnership with Equity and NCBA Bank to help taxi drivers finance their car purchases.
Ryan Kangundo, the executive director Digital Transport Federation also noted that the federation stands with the reduction of carbon print in the transport sector.
“The uptake is very high in terms of adoption…the federation embraces this particular transition because of reduction of carbon and the clean energy initiative that align to the climate act,” Kangundo said.
On the subject of taxes, personal assistant Eric Lumallas said that the company hoped the President would do something about them, especially as he had already promised that the first 100,000 cars would be tax-free.
“I do not know what the KRA or the Commissioner General is doing about it. But we hope we have a chance to sit down with the President and see how we can go from there. Maybe he can decide to reduce the tax even more,” he said.
