Car & General To Start Selling Electric Vehicles And Tuk-tuks In Kenya

Car and General (C&G) is set to start selling electric cars and tuk-tuks in its plan to diversify into the ‘green’ mobility business that is expected to grow. There has been a global push to address climate change and pollution with environmentally friendly options being explored all over.

C&G has been selling motorcycles and tuk-tuks with internal combustion engines for decades as part of its diversified operations that include consumer credit.

“We will now be focusing more energy on electric vehicles and we intend to launch electric three-wheelers in February. We are working hard with our suppliers to develop fit-for-market two-wheelers,” C&G said in a statement.

“With our symbiotic relationship with Watu Credit, we can play a significant role in transforming the two-wheeler and three-wheeler market towards electric. This will play a positive role in alleviating climate change over the coming years.”

The global push for electric mobility as a way to curb climate change is expected to impact local motor vehicle dealers and motorists, with scores of automakers and governments announcing they will completely phase out diesel and petrol-powered vehicles by 2040.

Kenya does not manufacture vehicles or motorcycles and only assembles some of the models. This means that dealers and consumers will automatically join the shift to electric transport.

Besides the promise of clean transport, the transition could also reduce the cost of operating vehicles and motorcycles as charging batteries will be the key cost item.

Internal combustion automobiles have additional costs such as service where several consumables including oil, filters and other fluids are changed depending on the frequency recommended by the manufacturers