2008 – First LPG forklifts
Kenya Power has been engaging in various initiatives geared towards E-Mobility. In 2008, KPLC brought in the first LPG forklifts primarily to address pollution in enclosed working spaces like stores and go-downs.
2016 – Electric forklifts
Later in 2016, KPLC added electric forklifts to the fleet. Having gone through the piloting and the findings found to be favorable for both forklifts and two-wheelers, all new forklifts and twowheelers will be electric. Some of the ongoing and completed electric mobility projects in the company are as listed.
2021 – ENERGICA Project
The energy access and green transition collaboratively demonstrated in urban and rural areas in AfrICA (ENERGICA) is a European Union project where Kenya Power (through IESR) and other twentyseven (27) project collaboration partners are scheduled to deploy about 15 e-motorcycle charging and swapping points at existing petrol stations in Nairobi, with the possibility of replication in Kisumu. The project kicked off in 2021 and is to be implemented over a period of 4 years. The deployment of the pilot charging/swapping stations within fifteen Total petrol stations in Nairobi are planned to begin this year. Besides, the project will also focus on the modeling of grid network to analyze the impact of charging infrastructure on the national grid and develop strategies for demand side management.
2021 – UNEP electric bikes piloting and testing
In 2021, Kenya Power acquired sample (13) e-bikes from the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) to test their performance and suitability for Kenya Power operations. This was within the precincts of a UNEP project that was aimed at promoting global transition to no and low emissions mobility for improved air quality and climate change mitigation. The project supported the demonstration pilots of electric 2&3 wheelers as well as the development of sustainable mobility policies in several countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Philippines, Thailand & Vietnam in order to foster the transition to electric mobility.
2022 – Launch of BasiGo electric passenger buses
Kenya Power being a strategic partner with BasiGo, joined in the f lagging off of the f irst electric buses for passenger use in Nairobi. The electric buses are operated by Citi Hoppa and East Shuttle and ply various routes within the city. Kenya Power is expected to timely supply BasiGo’s charging stations with the 3-phase power required for the passenger buses. BasiGo aims to deliver locally assembled electric buses in Kenya beginning in 2023, with over 1,000 electric buses set to be deployed by the end of 2025 in collaboration with BYD Bus Company.
2023 – E-Mobility conference
To help accelerate the E-Mobility transition, Kenya Power organized an E-Mobility conference that took place on 7th and 8th of February 2023. The goal of the conference Launch of electric buses was to bring together sector stakeholders in order to understand the current sector status and help the company to coin its niche and develop strategies for creating an enabling environment for the E-Mobility sector.
ICT and Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure requirement for E-Mobility
Internet of Things (IoT and ICT enabled real time status of an electric vehicle charging station can provide drivers with valuable information such as availability, reservations, and the Electric mobility system architecture time to arrive at a specific station. It also allows collection, storage, and analysis of data from EV infrastructure. Since drivers typically charge their cars via Internet connected applications, EV charging stations must be online at all times. However, as soon as a charging station goes offline, the central management system must be notified because understanding the real time status of EV charging stations can provide valuable information. The diagram in the figure below depicts the hardware and software interactions in E-Mobility.
