Nigeria and Kenya are pushing ahead with local electric-vehicle assembly for public transport, aiming to expand electric vans, taxis and minibuses in markets where financing and charging infrastructure have long constrained adoption. The Associated Press reported that companies in Nigeria and Kenya are starting to build vehicles domestically by using Chinese-made kits rather than assembling every component from scratch.
In Nigeria, Saglev has started assembling 18-seater passenger electric vans using imported kits supplied by Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Corp., according to the report. The company says it plans to make up to 2,500 vehicles per year and eventually assemble 17 electric models for Nigeria and other West African markets.
Saglev’s CEO Olu Falaye said the effort is a turning point for Nigeria’s transition to “clean, fossil-free transportation.” Falaye added that the van is the first locally assembled electric vehicle of its kind for mass transit in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, as quoted by AP.
Saglev is a joint venture between Nigeria’s Stallion Group, described as a major auto distributor, and Chinese automaker Sokon Motor. The company also plans to install solar-powered charging stations, a step it points to as a response to a key obstacle for EV adoption in parts of Africa: access to reliable power.
Kenya’s local assembly drive follows a similar approach. AP said Rideence Africa recently signed a $2.46 million deal with Mombasa-based Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) to begin local assembly of electric taxis and minibuses from kits supplied by China’s Jiangsu Joylong Automobile and Beijing Henrey Automobile Technology.
Rideence Africa’s managing director Minnan Yu said, “We are now moving decisively from operator to manufacturer,” and said the company’s goal is “to build a Kenya-rooted new-energy mobility company serving Africa.” In the same report, AVA managing director Matt Lloyd said the partnership delivers Kenya’s first dedicated electric vehicle assembly line and demonstrates that Kenya can assemble EVs locally at scale.
The shift comes as electric vans and minibuses play a central role in transport across Africa, where Japanese models such as the Toyota Hiace and Nissan vans dominate many routes, AP said. The report also described EV charging costs as averaging about $3 for up to 200 kilometers, compared with more than $15 in petrol costs for similar distances.
AP said Kenya’s Electric Mobility Association secretary-general Dennis Wakaba linked demand to cost changes as local assembly expands, saying earlier prices for electric vans deterred operators. Wakaba said that as local assembly scales up, costs drop and orders increase.
The AP report placed Kenya and Nigeria at the front of the continent’s broader local-assembly push, noting similar activity in Ethiopia. It said Belayneh Kinde Group (BKG) assembles about 150 minibuses a month in Ethiopia using Chinese components, and it said South Africa and Ethiopia have also entered the market.
To make EVs affordable for transport operators, the report said some companies are adopting pay-as-you-drive and lease-to-own options that reduce the need for large upfront payments. AP said Rideence leases its taxis to drivers for about $18 per day, while another Kenya-focused company, BasiGo-Kenya Vehicle Manufacturer, requires operators to pay a deposit and then about 20 U.S. cents per kilometer driven.
Wakaba said these financing models “mitigate risks for both assembler and operators,” and said they help get vehicles on the road faster. Still, the report said the continent has only about 30,000 EVs compared with millions of gas and diesel vehicles, citing latest figures from the Africa Mobility Alliance, and said last year Africa manufactured 1.1 million vehicles overall with 90% in Morocco and South Africa.