Nigeria and Kenya lead Africa's push for electric vans assembled from
Chinese EV kits
[February 17, 2026] ALLAN
OLINGO
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — E-mobility companies in Africa are beginning to
assemble electric vans and taxis locally, using Chinese-made kits and
innovative financing to spread use of electric public transport across
the continent.
Saglev of Nigeria has begun assembling 18-seater passenger electric vans
using imported kits supplied by Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Corp.
The Lagos-based company says it plans to make up to 2,500 vehicles a
year, eventually assembling 17 electric models for Nigeria and other
West African markets.
“This is a major step in Nigeria's transition toward clean, fossil-free
transportation,” said Saglev's CEO Olu Falaye. He said the van is the
first locally assembled electric vehicle of its kind for mass transit in
Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
“This feat is a clear signal that electric mobility in Nigeria is
practical, scalable and ready for adoption,” Falaye said.
Saglev is a joint venture between Nigeria’s Stallion Group, a major auto
distributor, and Chinese automaker Sokon Motor. It also plans to install
solar-powered charging stations to provide more reliable sources of
power, a key challenge for EV adoption in some parts of Africa.
There's a similar push in Kenya, where Chinese backed Rideence Africa
recently signed a $2.46 million deal with Mombasa-based Associated
Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) to begin local assembly of electric taxis and
minibuses from kits supplied by China's Jiangsu Joylong Automobile and
Beijing Henrey Automobile Technology.
“We are now moving decisively from operator to manufacturer,” said
Rideence Africa's managing director, Minnan Yu. “Our aim is to build a
Kenya-rooted new-energy mobility company serving Africa.”
Kenya and Nigeria, two of Africa’s largest economies, are leading the
push for local EV assembly as countries seek to cut fuel costs, reduce
emissions and build domestic manufacturing capacity.
“This partnership delivers Kenya’s first dedicated electric vehicle
assembly line, demonstrating clearly that Kenya has the capacity and
capability to assemble EVs locally at scale,” AVA Managing Director Matt
Lloyd said.
Electric vans and minibuses are central to public transport across
Africa, where Japanese models such as the Toyota Hiace and Nissan vans
dominate the roads, carrying passengers and goods.
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 EV charging costs average about $3
for up to 200 kilometers (123 miles), compared with more than $15 in
petrol costs for similar distances.
“The assembly of electric vans is emerging as a strong market
segment,” said Dennis Wakaba, the secretary-general of the Electric
Mobility Association of Kenya. “Earlier, the cost of electric vans
was high, putting off operators. But as local assembly scales up,
these costs have dropped, attracting more orders.”
Kenya has one of Africa's most active electric mobility markets,
with startups assembling buses and vans and deploying them for
public transport and ride-hailing. Ethiopia and South Africa also
have entered the market. In Ethiopia, Belayneh Kinde Group (BKG)
assembles about 150 minibuses a month using Chinese components.
To make EVs more affordable, companies like Rideence are adopting
pay-as-you-drive and lease-to-own options that let operators avoid
expensive initial payments. It leases its taxis to drivers for about
$18 per day.
BasiGo-Kenya Vehicle Manufacturer, which also is expanding into
electric vans assembly, requires operators of its EVs to pay a
deposit and then about 20 U.S. cents per kilometer (32 cents per
mile) driven.
That approach fits with financial realities for transport operators
in Africa, where access to credit is limited and few can afford to
purchase new vehicles outright.
“These innovative financing models mitigate risks for both assembler
and operators, helping put vehicles on the road faster. With these,
we expect to see more e-vans taking a larger share of the African
transport systems,” Wakaba said.
Still, there are only about 30,000 EVs in Africa, compared with
millions of gas and diesel-fueled vehicles, latest figures from the
Africa Mobility Alliance shows. The continent manufactured only 1.1
million vehicles in all last year, 90% of them in Morocco and South
Africa.
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