KAMPALA – MTN Uganda has received its maiden 100% electric car, and in the process bolstered its commitment to achieving net zero emissions and greener tomorrow ambitions.
Receiving vehicle at MTN Headquarters on Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Uganda, Ms. Sylivia Mulinge said the shift to electric vehicles will contribute to a sustainable future for Uganda and the world.
“Our sustainability framework in our Ambition 2022 strategy, under the priority of creating shared value, outlines our determination to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040,” she said, adding that MTN Uganda will drive change with electric vehicles.
“As we gradually integrate them into our fleet, we’re steering towards a cleaner, greener future. Together, let’s accelerate sustainability,” Ms. Mulinge said.
She said MTN Uganda has always prioritized ESG practices, noting that the company’s track record speaks for itself.
“Transitioning over 64% of our sites to hydroelectricity has already resulted in a remarkable 4.4% reduction in carbon emissions (tCO2). We firmly believe in managing environmental resources sustainably for the benefit of all.”
The integration of electric vehicles into MTN Uganda fleet, she said is a proactive step towards achieving the net-zero emissions commitment by 2040.
Florence Sempebwa Makada, the Managing Director, MotorCare Uganda, whose agency is working to increase the availability of affordable EVs on the Ugandan market said EVs are the solution for creating a greener and better word.
The car can cover a distance of 500km under a single charge and have a capacity of five passengers.
Uganda committed nearly UGX150 billion to put the first fully homemade car on the road.
East Africa’s uptake of electrical vehicles however remains extremely low compared to global leaders, according to Global EV Outlook Report 2019.
Lack of investment in charging infrastructure and absence of fiscal incentives such as subsidies and rebates on vehicle acquisition taxes, and lower toll or parking fees are to blame, the report launched by the International Energy Agency states.
Measure
It notes that scaling up of EV adoption in the region requires measures that provide incentives to increase the availability of vehicles with zero and low tailpipe emissions including massive investments in charging infrastructure installations on highways and in buildings.
Two decades ago, the world decided it was going electric and in 2009 a multi-governmental policy forum was established under the Clean Energy Ministerial to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles worldwide.
The CEM consists of 24 nations and the EU, who together account for 90 per cent of all investment in clean energy in the world and 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. So far 13 countries are participating in the EVI including Canada, Chile, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the UK.
Electric mobility is expanding at a rapid pace globally, with the total electric car fleet exceeding 5.1 million last year, compared with 3.1 million in 2017.
China remains the world’s largest electric car market, followed by Europe and the US, while Norway is the global leader in terms of electric car market share.