The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has announced a plan to boost the number of electric vehicle charging points in the country in an effort to stoke the already growing consumer demand for electric vehicles (EVs).
KPLC said Thursday that it is looking to build a new nationwide network of 35 electric vehicle charging stations in its offices at different locations countrywide.
The charging system, which will have plugs designed for the connections used by most carmakers, would be public and open to all owners of electric vehicles in the country.
The utility company has already advertised a contract opportunity inviting interested parties to offer bids for supplying EV chargers and other equipment for building the EV charging ports and stations.
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“Kenya Power invites bids from eligible tenderers for supply and delivery of electric chargers and related compact substations for the establishment of EV charging stations to KPLC’s training school – IESR (Institute of Energy Studies and Research),” the advert reads in part.
Coming barely one month after the launch of two EV charging stations at Stima Plaza and its training school in Ruaraka, this will be the biggest rollout of such infrastructure by the government amid ambitions to reduce transportation emissions and help fight climate change.
“Electric mobility is one of our sustainable business growth areas that will define our contribution to the global climate agenda and as part of our sales growth strategy,” Kenya Power Chief Executive Officer Joseph Siror said during that time in April.
The plan underscores the company’s transition from fuel-powered cars to electric vehicles, which are already in its fleet, and the purchase of an additional nine and 25 other electric motorcycles will be complete by December 2024.
Statistics from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority say there are nearly 4,000 registered electric vehicles in Kenya, including Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).
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