Kenya’s High Import Duties On Electric Cars Stall Adoption - CleanTechnica

Kenya stands to gain significantly from accelerating electric vehicle (EV) adoption due to its exceptionally clean electricity grid, with renewables accounting for around 90% of power generation. This clean energy base means that increasing EV penetration could lead to substantial CO2 emissions reductions. Notably, Kenya has made considerable progress in electric motorcycles, with their market share rising from 0.5% in 2021 to 7.1% in 2024, indicating a move toward mass adoption. Electric tuk tuks and buses have also seen modest uptake, with 4% and 1.1% market shares respectively in 2024. However, electric car adoption remains very low at just 0.18% of new vehicle registrations. The primary barrier to electric car adoption in Kenya is the high import duties and taxes imposed on these vehicles, which significantly inflate their final cost to consumers. For example, the BYD Sealion 7’s price nearly doubles after including import duties and VAT, rising