"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
16 Aug 2024
Earlier this year, GNN spotlighted Valerie Labi, the visionary behind Wahu!, Ghana's first and only indigenous electric vehicle manufacturer. Starting with just 100 electric bicycles sold to delivery workers on a pay-per-week plan, Wahu! has since expanded its impact, selling 200 more bikes, lowering insurance costs, and gearing up to launch Africa's first 4-wheeled electric vehicle.
The bikes are offered with a reasonable 18–24 month payment plan that runs about $23 a month. Compared to comparable petrol-powered delivery motorcycles, which require $250 in gasoline, they only require about $13.5 in electricity every month to charge. For riders who are connected to Wahu!'s exclusive riding system, all of this adds up to substantial savings. With companies like Glovo and Bolt, they may obtain work right away.
Everybody who has been to Accra, Ghana, during the dry season would recall the unbelievably bad air quality. Cars stuck in second and third gear on bad roads emit a lot of extra pollution, and older cars in second and third gear are particularly polluting. Dirty roads also lead to exposed soil, and dust with small particles in it. Some areas of the capital have unhealthy air due to smog, dust, and vehicle emissions in addition to a lack of rain. Worse, low-cost, two-wheeled electric cars purchased from Asian producers are not designed for the rough and tumble of African roads. They produce needless waste, break down frequently, and need owners to replace parts regularly.
( Valerie Labi, her three children, and the bike, Source: Google Images )
On the other hand, Wahu!'s bikes were created with Africa in mind, and several of the original models are still in good working order. Furthermore, only one of the 300 bikes that have been sold and registered in Ghana has been reported stolen. Thanks to GPS tracking, it was promptly found. If the infamous hostility of African drivers gets to be too much to handle, Labi and her group can just turn off the e-bike from their headquarters. As previously stated, this has resulted in exceptionally inexpensive insurance premiums for the drivers of a brand-new, innovative electric car.
After closing a funding round, Labi and Wahu! secured $8 million to boost production at their Accra, Ghanaian business on Spintex Road. They intend to introduce a four-wheeled vehicle and open new locations in Lagos, Nigeria, and Lusaka, Zambia, in the upcoming months.
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