Volkswagen has launched a pilot project in partnership with Siemens to test the feasibility of electric mobility in the African country of Rwanda.
The pilot project was announced by Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Group South Africa and in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda, Dr. Edouard Ngirente. With the launch of the pilot project, Rwanda becomes the first African country to introduce a Volkswagen electric car.
During the pilot phase, four e-Golfs and one charging station will be introduced in the capital of Rwanda, Kigali. Volkswagen has signed a joint development agreement with Siemens to provide the charging infrastructure for the electric cars. The Group plans to increase the number of the electric cars to 50 units and 15 charging stations, depending on the outcomes of the pilot project.
The electric mobility project was developed within the Moving Rwanda initiative, a cooperation between Volkswagen, Siemens, SAP and Inros Lackner and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. GIZ supported the e-mobility project by bringing together relevant partners from the private and public sector and by advising on the development benefits of the project.
Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda offers mobility solutions services such as ride-hailing and corporate car sharing. The services are offered on the Move App, an innovative IT mobility solution which was developed by a local IT start-up company, Awesomity Lab. Move App has about 27 000 registered users. Over 59 500 rides have been completed in the ride-hailing service since the beginning of 2019.
The services are offered using a fleet of vehicles assembled at Volkswagen Rwanda’s assembly facility in Kigali. By the end of 2019, Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda will have a fleet of more than 200 vehicles consisting of Polo, Amarok, Teramont and Passat.
Africa is the last frontier for the automotive industry. Volkswagen’s long term goal is to play a leading and pioneering role in the development of the automotive industry in the continent. As such, the Group has significantly expanded its engagement in Africa with the establishment of assembly facilities and marketing activities in Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria. Ghana and Ethiopia are planned as the next locations.
Source: Press Release
