Over the next four years, Kenya Power, the country’s main power supplier, plans to convert 2,000 of its gasoline- and diesel-powered cars and trucks to electric power.
The decision is part of a growing trend in the East African economy to use plentiful renewable energy sources for electricity and convert motorbike and vehicle engines from fossil fuels to electricity.
According to Kenya Power, Kenya has an installed generation capacity of 3,321 megawatts (MW), versus peak demand of 2,132 MW and off-peak demand of roughly 1,100 MW.
It stated in a statement that charging electric vehicles, especially at night, would help close the gap between off-peak load available generation capacity and lift the average demand to above 1,500 MW. The business provides electricity to more than three-quarters of Kenya’s population.