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The projects align with the country’s Energy Transition Strategy
Two e-mobility projects, including the launch of its first locally assembled electric vehicles (EVs) and an e-boat, have been unveiled in Botswana.
In the past few weeks, the government has announced a series of green transport initiatives, with the electric boat unveiled on Sunday (27 October).
These align with the goals outlined in the country’s Energy Transition Strategy, which aims to increase the use of renewable energy sources across various sectors.
In launching the e-boat on Sunday at Botswana’s northwestern resort town of Kasane, Vice President Slumber Tsogwane said that while these steps may seem small, it is “a vital response to pressing environmental challenges such as climate change, pollution, and the depletion of natural resources.”
“We, in Botswana, have not been spared, as our rivers and related ecological systems continue to bear the brunt of these life-threatening developments, which demand of us to transition to cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable alternative modes of transport,” said Tsogwane.
The Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) collaborated with Ali-boats to develop the electric boat.
EVs assembled in Botswana
Earlier this month, Botswana unveiled its first locally assembled EVs in Gaborone, with support from two Chinese vehicle manufacturing companies.
These electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and buses are set to hit local roads soon, as the government promotes them to generate interest in e-mobility solutions, according to Tsogwane.
Earlier in October, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said the country’s strategy to transform into a hub of manufacturing and assembling EVs and their related components is taking shape.
Speaking during the viewing of EVs assembled in Gaborone, President Masisi said Botswana’s nascent automobile industry had the potential to attract investors in the assembling and manufacturing of both conventional and electric vehicles.
Critical minerals in the EV value chain
The project, he said, was not only for the benefit of the economy and the environment, but also to enhance other aspects of the knowledge-based economy that optimised the country’s natural endowments and resources, including critical minerals.
He said the manganese that would be mined in Kanye could be used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries.
The President also mentioned the discovery of a copper belt in Selebi Phikwe, indicating its relevance to the EV supply chain.
In an effort to expand the local industry, President Masisi said Botswana was in discussions with neighbouring countries to develop additional value chains and inputs for e-mobility. |
