Volkswagen sets sights on e-mobility in Rwanda
Rwanda is the first African country in which Volkswagen intends to try its hand at an electric mobility project. Together with Siemens, VW has launched a pilot project to test the feasibility of e-mobility approaches in the East African country.
The project focuses on the fleet of Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda. The Volkswagen subsidiary offers mobility services such as ride-hailing and car-sharing for companies. In the coming months, the offer is expected to grow by up to 50 e-Golf. Siemens is also planning to install up to 15 charging stations.
According to Volkswagen, all vehicles in the fleet will be assembled at the local VW production plant in Kigali. Customers will then book the cars via an app developed by the Rwandan startup Awesomity Lab. The app, called Move, has 27,000 registered users, according to an accompanying press release. Since the beginning of 2019, almost 60,000 ride-hailing trips have already been handled via the application.
The project is part of the Moving Rwanda initiative, a cooperation between GIZ (German Association for International Cooperation) and German companies such as Volkswagen and Siemens. The participants have committed themselves to work together on the development of digital mobility solutions in Rwanda that contribute to the country’s sustainable development.
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