Now all Uganda needs is extension cords that can reach nations with electricity.
The Guardian reports,
In an age of technological marvels, it may not be earth-stopping news that young engineers at Uganda’s Makerere University have made an electric car. But, as a university professor reminded me, this is big news for Uganda.
Sounds great right?
Some critics have questioned the rationale for spending research money on an electric car in a poor agrarian country with an ailing public healthcare system, and where electricity outages are the norm. One cartoon showed the Kiira being pushed by two men apparently because there was no electricity to charge it.
So Ugandan engineers have built an electric car that costs $35,000 — in a country where the per capita GDP is $1,300. US per capita GDP is about $47,000 and we still don’t want EVs.
Uganda produces about 63 kilowatt-hours of electricity per person. The U.S. produces about 13,300 kWh per person and EVs still haven’t caught on.
Sounds like the “some critics” are 100% correct.
Everyone is well aware that the prices of petroleum products all over the world have been steadily rising in the past years. This is due mainly to the fact that the sources of these products are being slowly depleted and experts estimate that it will be bled dry in the next 20 years. Because of that, every car owner has been wondering about what other kinds of cars possess the same mileage as gasoline – guzzling cars but at a lesser maintenance cost. One of the answers is electric cars.
The Chevy Volt is a DUD and there is very little market in the USA for the good Electric Cars such as the Prius and Leaf…This Ugandan car is a real joke..
I believe you are correct: there is no market for the car itself in it’s home country. However, If the university can make money through selling its innovations, then it can prove beneficial for Africa and the world. Nothing to write home about, but not really worthy of this site’s name.