Chery, a leading Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has committed to a $20 million investment in the Kenyan auto dealer, Afrigreen Automobile, to set up an EV assembly facility in Nairobi. This strategic move is anticipated to enhance Kenya’s efforts towards adopting green transportation and is expected to generate thousands of job opportunities.
Nishant Mishra, the Global Head of Future Mobility at Afrigreen Automobile, announced that the assembly plant is slated to begin operations within the next month. The facility is projected to have an annual production capacity of 5,000 to 6,000 EVs, catering not only to the Kenyan market but also to the broader Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region.
Abubakar Hassan Abubakar, the Principal Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry in Kenya, highlighted the significant impact this project is likely to have on the nation’s transportation sector. With Kenya’s current EV fleet standing at around 4,000 in a total car population of 1.7 million, the establishment of this assembly plant is a pivotal step towards achieving a more sustainable automotive future.
This agreement signifies yet another major foray by Chinese EV companies into the Kenyan market, following a previous investment by Chinese EV manufacturer NETA in Moja EV Kenya earlier this year, which aims to assemble 250 EVs per month. The latest investment by Chery underscores the increasing interest and potential for electric mobility in Kenya, which is poised to contribute to the country’s economic development and environmental conservation efforts.
