The last week has seen the most spontaneous outbreak of peaceful & non-political protests that Kenya has ever seen. The hostile reaction of the citizenry to the unpopular finance bill 2024 has started a revolution that will change the political landscape. You know things have hit the roof when chauvinists & feminists, church goers & bar revellers, business people & jobless people – are all united against a cause.
While those of us in electric mobility were happy with measures like tax free local assembly of the first 100,000 electric vehicles, there are many other measures that will make it extremely difficult for businesses to thrive.
From the unity of purpose displayed by the Gen Z protestors, it is clear a hashtag#VUCA shift is happening that has drawn even the previously indifferent middle class including girls. The Twitter space discussions are becoming too hot for the political establishment, one even reached 1.2 million listeners on Friday. The trending hashtags like hashtag#StandForKenya hashtag#RejectFinanceBill2024 hashtag#RejectNotAmend hashtag#TheyWillNotBelieve show just how fast and resolute this national movement has become. I am not here to analyse the bill, that has been done adequately in many forums.
I am here to show how electric mobility is part of the solution. As a country our biggest operational cost, biggest import item and biggest foreign exchange depleter is fossil fuel. It costs Kenya over $600 million every single month.
On average an ICE engine has an energy efficiency of about 35%, which means of the fuel stored in the fuel tank, only that percent gets to do useful work of moving the vehicle or machinery. For the average electric vehicle the energy efficiency is over 85%, meaning that much energy gets to the wheels from the battery pack. Conclusion, about 65% of the fossil fuel that costs Kenya about $600 million monthly is lost as wasted energy.
I hope people now understand why electric mobility is not just about transport. It is about renewable energy, battery technology, energy storage & heat pumps. It is political, economic, social, technological, legal & environmental all at the same time. It is the disruption of the century. If a country doesn’t need as much fossil fuel, it doesn’t need as much dollars, what does that mean for OPEC & Uncle Sam? Connect the dots, sitawafunza kila kitu.
Anytime you see a big change or disruption happening, a wealth transfer is always accompanying it in the background. Agriculture as an example is a very energy intensive process. Now you will understand this quote, “If you solve the energy problem, you have solved the water problem. If you solve the water problem, you have solved the food problem. If you solve energy, water & food – humanity starts running out of things to fight over.” The e-mobility revolution is being televised, but not many are tuned in.ui
WILL THE E-MOBILITY REVOLUTION BE TELEVISED?
