Why 'Made in China' electric cars are gaining popularity in this African country

In Ghana, a West African country with weak transport infrastructure, potholed roads and heavy traffic are a headache for residents of towns such as Accra, the capital. The light and fast "mota" came into being, known locally as "Okada". The "moo" little brothers pull people, deliver goods, and walk through every corner of the city and countryside. At present, more and more Chinese-made electric vehicles are joining this group of "motorcycle" army, and gradually become a bright scenery.

Ghanaian Joseph Kolisho is a delivery boy for Jumia, a local e-commerce company in Africa, and he has to fulfill dozens of orders under the hot sun every day. Six months ago, the company gave him a brand-new "made in China" electric car, which made his job easier. "This electric car is very small, easy to charge, better maintenance than fuel cars, it makes me completely fall in love with China made!" 'he said.

The electric vehicle Colishaw was riding was imported by a local Ghanaian company called Sun Taxi. Since September 2019, the company has begun to introduce electric vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles from China, becoming the "first batch of crab eaters" in Ghana's local market, which has attracted considerable attention locally. Emmanuel Frimpong, a technical expert at Sun Taxi, said the "low economic cost" of using Chinese-made electric vehicles was another important consideration for local consumers. In traffic-clogged Accra, cars must brake frequently, increasing fuel consumption. Therefore, for many Ghanaian consumers with limited economic capacity, electric vehicles are undoubtedly a good choice.

Frimpong said they are optimistic about the potential of Chinese electric vehicles in the African market, but they are still stuck in the manual stage of component assembly and lack of capital and equipment. They expect to cooperate with more Chinese enterprises to realize mechanization.

According to government data released in 2020, Ghana imports about 100,000 cars from abroad each year, 90% of which are used cars. The resulting emissions pose a threat to the country's environment. Ampongsa said that the emergence of "made in China" electric vehicles is in line with the current environmental demands. "In the context of global warming, we are turning our eyes to China, hoping that China can produce more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly cars with advanced technology and bring us more surprises."