This archive report was first published on 30 October 2019.
Rwanda Launches Electric Cars in Partnership with Volkswagen and Siemens ¶
On a significant milestone, Rwanda has become the first African country to launch electric cars, courtesy of a partnership between Volkswagen and Siemens. The e-Golf model is the first of its kind to be introduced in the region.
According to reports, the vehicles were launched in the presence of Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente, marking a significant step towards Rwanda's emergence as a regional tech hub.
As part of the partnership, Volkswagen and Siemens have set up charging stations, with the aim of expanding the project to 20 cars and 15 charging stations across the city in the coming months.
The e-Golf model is a fully electric vehicle, not a hybrid, and is expected to cover up to 230 kilometers on a single charge in ideal conditions.
During the launch, Michaella Rugwizangoga, the Chief Executive Officer of Volkswagen's operations in Rwanda, emphasized that the pilot project is part of Volkswagen's global ambitions of phasing out combustion engines in the next decade.
It is worth noting that Volkswagen entered the Rwandan market in June 2018, with the capacity to produce up to 1000 cars annually under the models (Passat, Polo, Amarok, and Terramont).
