Nigeria’s First Electric Car To Cost N316 For Full Charge-Stallion Motors

The “Hyundai-Kona” will soon be on the streets of Nigeria. It is Nigeria’s first electric car. This 100% electric car is assembled on-site by Stallion Motors. The model will be put on the Nigerian market before the end of 2020, according to the Nigerian car company.

It was presented on November 13th, 2020 by Stallion Motors and this vehicle can travel 482 km after 9.35 hours of charging. Once the “Hyundai-Kona” is on the road, Stallion Motors plans to sensitise the population to a change in behaviour. The aim of the Nigerian company is to help protect the environment by reducing CO2 emissions.

Promoting Electric Cars In Nigeria 

According to Stallion Motors; “Currently, Nigerian electricity consumers living in R1 category dwellings are charged only 4 naira per kW (over US$0.010). This means that when the Hyundai-Kona goes on sale in Nigeria, its owner will only have to pay 316 Nigerian naira (about US$0.83) for a full charge if he plugs the car into the public power grid.”

The presentation of the “Hyundai-Kona” comes in a particular context in Nigeria. This West African country wants to reduce its carbon emissions by 179 million tonnes per year by 2030 through the adoption of renewable energy and decarbonised mobility. At the end of 2018, the Nigerian government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Volkswagen for the construction of a car assembly plant in the country. The partnership also concerns the creation of a training academy in collaboration with the German government and the “broader” technical training of the community in the field of automotive skills.

“A complete network of Volkswagen vehicles and services will also be developed in Nigeria, subject to its commercial viability,” Volkswagen indicated after signing the agreement in 2018.

Cost Of N316 For Full Charge-Stallion Motors

Stallion Motors, one of Nigeria’s auto assemblers and a franchisee of nine global brands, has said that the Hyundai–Kona,  expected from its auto plant before the end of last year, 2020, will cost N316 for a full charge.

The car which is expected to hit the market before the end of 2020, comes with five years of battery warranty and five years of vehicle warranty with a driving range of 482 kilometres along with an acceleration of 0-100kms in 9.7 seconds.

According to the General Manager of Stallion Group, Arpita Luthra, the technology is a customer-friendly car that can easily be charged by plugging into an electrical socket at home or at work. Luthra added that when Hyundai Kona goes on sale in Nigeria, its owner would incur only N316 to get a full charge if the car is plugged into the public power supply.

“Not being dissuaded by the nation’s infrastructural challenges, one of our plans for this year is to introduce into the country Electric Vehicle (EV) and, in no distant future, embark on attitude change campaign for a clean environment in conjugation with Hyundai,” CEO of Stallion Group, Anant Badjatya said.

The Initiative Behind The First Electric Car In Nigeria

Climate change is real and the changes in global temperature and weather patterns are seen today are caused by human activity. They are happening much faster than the natural climate variations of the past. All over the world, industries have started recognising this and are making the switch towards sustainable means of doing business and adopting technology with less environmental impact.

Responding to the problem, therefore, auto users around the world are, speedily, replacing internal combustion engine-powered vehicles with Electric Vehicles, EVs, which generate no pollutants. Like dry season wildfire, the revolution is moving with speed.

It was learnt that the Stallion Motors initiative is in recognition of the need to ensure that Nigeria becomes part of the global trend where industries are switching from internal combustion engines to sustainable means of doing business and adopting technology with less environmental impact. However many experts have also raised concern about the electric car business even as the Nigerian market is very much dominated by fuel-driven vehicles which have a grip over motorists.

Also, unlike other countries, the Nigerian government has not decided when it intends to switch to electric vehicles, further affecting the penetration of EVs within the country.

The last time the subject was raised at the Senate by the former lawmaker, Ben Bruce, the National Assembly kicked against it. Bruce had introduced the Electric Car bill in April last year which was basically seeking that the National Assembly approves the use of electric cars in Nigeria. The aim of this bill is to phase out the use of petroleum and diesel vehicles by 2035, to be replaced by electric cars. The reason for the bill was to encourage the use of modern technology, de-emphasise oil consumption and also reduce air pollution.