AfricaNEV’s First EV Technical Coaching Course Was Held In Nairobi Final Month

Africa New Power and Autos (AfricaNEV) is a continental non-profit that goals to speed up the adoption of e-mobility in Africa by means of coverage advocacy, consciousness creation, and abilities improvement, in addition to linking business gamers within the e-mobility worth chain. AfricaNEV says the aim of its group is to ensure African international locations will not be left behind within the nascent transformation of vitality and transport to sustainable ecosystems. These will likely be higher, more healthy, extra environmentally pleasant, and finally cheaper than present options, and can energy the twenty first century.

AfricaNEV was based in 2017, and formally constituted in 2019 by Gad Ashiagbor, a Ghanaian and the present Government Director. Gad is an e-mobility fanatic and skilled, educator, physicist, and entrepreneur who’s keen about Africa.

There are 4 different Administrators of various nationalities and background:

• Tolulope Olukokun, a Nigerian and Director of Emobility. He cofounded ThinkBikes Restricted to offer inexpensive and clear last-mile mobility for items and folks.
• Luttah Annette Aluora, Director for Francophone Africa and a Kenyan Environmental Planner with a powerful ardour for environmental safety and improvement.
• Kenneth Atsu Turkson, a Ghanaian and director of sustainable cities with years of expertise in Ghana’s development and housing ecosystem.
• John Msingo, a Kenyan and Director for East Africa. John is a photo voltaic and emobility skilled dedicated to the accelerated adoption of emobility options in Africa.

Their work seeks to carry educated and related consultants to tell, educate, and affect numerous stakeholders within the rising African emobility ecosystem. This could firstly cut back or get rid of misinformation, disinformation, or ignorance about electrical autos and their adoption charges. Secondly, function a networking platform for ecosystem gamers throughout the continent. Lastly, it ought to finally speed up EV adoption charges on the continent.

Under is a snapshot of  the AfricaNEV schedule for the remainder of 2023:

So, it’s been a busy 12 months for AfricaNEV, as proven within the schedule above. One of many highlights thus far was the primary AfricaNEV Electrical Automobile Technician Coaching Program, held in Nairobi, Kenya. The coaching program attracted over 35 members from numerous backgrounds, together with electrical mobility startups, utility corporations, authorities departments and companies, NGOs, and nicely as from the non-public sector.

The Electrical Automobile Technician Coaching program was divided into two segments — an internet digital section and a bodily hands-on coaching. The web coaching was executed nearly on the nineteenth of Might 2023, and the bodily section was held from Monday the twenty second – Saturday twenty seventh Might 2023 at BasiGo’s electrical bus depot in Nairobi. The Nairobi Technical Coaching was organized in collaboration with Superior Mobility Africa, EVChaja, BasiGo, and Knights Power.

To be eligible to attend the course, the next had been conditions:

• Present automotive or electrical technicians with not less than a diploma certificates
• Professionals within the automotive business with not less than a level certificates.
• Remaining 12 months college students for diploma or diploma programs within the automotive, mechanical, or electrical fields

Trainees had been divided into two cohorts. Trainees had been required to attend all periods and cross an evaluation quiz on the finish to qualify for a Certificates of Completion. The bodily coaching consisted of two key components. The primary was a tour of varied electrical automobile corporations resembling BasiGo (the host firm), ARC Journey, Roam, and Ampersand.

The second and hottest element was an entire tear-down of a Nissan Leaf electrical automobile. After the tear-down, the trainees had been made to re-assemble the automobile and ensure it’s in working situation below the steering of an ASE licensed EV Grasp Technician. A variety of the attendees got here out of the tear-down and reassembly session fairly excited to see the Nissan Leaf drive away after pulling it aside. The following coaching session will likely be held in Accra, Ghana.

Different areas coated within the coaching had been:

• Know the historical past and background of electrical autos
• Threats and alternatives for the African mechanic
• Perceive EV structure & battery methods
• Security procedures for electrical autos
• Common upkeep of electrical autos
• Prognosis and restore of widespread electrical automobile issues
• Alternatives for native manufacturing of electrical autos and parts

The AfricaNEV crew is trying to assist prepare all related stakeholders throughout the continent, together with:

• Fleet operators, enterprise house owners, company & humanitarian organizations, SMEs, truck operators, taxi operators & mobility app suppliers trying to transition to EVs
• Professionals in automotive, mechanical, or electrical careers who need to advance to the EV business
• People and organizations in tertiary, graduate, and studying establishments that prepare personnel for the automotive business
• People and organizations that supply aftermarket merchandise & companies for the automotive business
• Automobile insurance coverage valuers and assessors

Because the transition to electrical mobility positive aspects momentum throughout the globe, African international locations additionally must sustain with the developments within the sector because the transition presents a serious alternative for lots of communities on the continent to leapfrog straight into the age of electrical mobility. These varieties of coaching periods and initiatives will assist create a help ecosystem to facilitate the transition. Coaching periods that take a deeper dive into the technical points of EVs and a charging infrastructure are additionally deliberate. It’s nice to see these sorts of initiatives and I look ahead to be extra concerned in such applications as nicely.

Because of Gad Ashiagbor for the insights into the coaching program. Pictures courtesy of AfricaNEV