Challenges and Opportunities of Electric Mobility in East Africa: Review and Recommendations

Electric mobility in East Africa comes with chal-lenges and opportunities that underline the region's potential for sustainable transportation. The transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) is primarily motivated by the urgent need to mitigate environmental impacts and promote economic resilience through sustainable practices. However, the path to inclusive EV adoption is filled with different challenges, including the lack of enough charging infrastructure, the high initial costs of EVs, grid instability, and the extensive importation of used internal combustion engine vehicles, collectively slowing down the transition. Despite these challenges, East Africa has promising opportunities that could catalyze the electric mobility sector. The transition to sustainable electric mobility requires a strategic approach, incorporating public-private partnerships, enhancing consumer awareness, improving grid stability, and investing in infrastructure to fully employ electric mobility's benefits. Addressing these challenges and opportunities is crucial for East Africa to realize a sustainable, efficient, and inclusive transportation system. This paper reviews the challenges and opportunities for sustainable electric mobility in East Africa. Recommendations based on the study are also stated for inclusive, sustainable electric mobility in East Africa.