In much of Africa, electric cars have long been seen as an expensive luxury, far beyond the reach of ordinary motorists. But new research suggests that perception may soon be outdated, and that Botswana could be among the countries closest to making electric vehicles financially competitive with petrol-powered cars.
A peer-reviewed study published in Nature Energy finds that battery-electric passenger vehicles powered by solar off-grid charging systems could become cheaper to own than conventional internal combustion vehicles across Africa well before 2040. For Botswana and a handful of relatively stable African economies, the turning point could arrive even sooner.
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