Feasibility of transition to electric mobility for 2-wheeler taxis in Sub-Saharan Africa: a case study of rural Kenya
Author(s)
Pawlak, Jacek
Sivakumar, Aruna
Ciputra, Winston
Li, Tang
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Electric mobility transition has been gradually gaining momentum, driven by several considerations, including the urgency to combat climate change impacts attributed to private transport based on the internal combustion engine. The nature and impacts of such a transition will inevitably vary across countries because of differences in the mobility patterns and preferences in the societies, as well as the policy landscape. In Sub-Saharan Africa, paratransit is one of the dominant forms of transport. This motivates the need to assess its viability for electric mobility transition, focusing on electric motorcycles in particular. Using Kenya as case study, in conjunction with mobility data collected in several Sub-Saharan countries, this research provides insight on the potential adoption and impacts of electric motorcycles in the taxi industry, based on the observed trip characteristics and relative fuel and electricity costs. The economic benefits for taxi drivers as well as the capability of the electricity infrastructure to support such transition are considered. The paper concludes that the transition to electric mobility among motorcycle taxis is feasible in Kenya. The paper also discusses implications for the electricity grid, in relation to the possible increase in the electricity consumption and power needs under various electric two-wheeler proliferation scenarios.
Date Issued
2023-12-01
Date Acceptance
2023-03-08
Citation
Transportation Research Record, 2023, 2677 (12), pp.359-370
ISSN
0361-1981
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Start Page
359
End Page
370
Journal / Book Title
Transportation Research Record
Volume
2677
Issue
12
Copyright Statement
© National Academy of Sciences: Transportation Research Board 2023. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Lficense (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
License URL
Identifier
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/03611981231168122
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2023-05-17