While the buzz of electric vehicles has spread across the globe, countries like Nigeria are still yet to catch up with current trends. With the number of EV owners growing across the globe, in Nigeria, there are only a handful of EV owners, and charging stations to support EV operation and success in the country.
However, speaking to TechNext, a Lagos-based EV owner, known as Foluso Oyefodunrin who owns and drives a 2021 Changan E-Star told the publication that the faster Nigerians adopt EVs, the better chance they stand to gain plenty.
While Foluso Oyefodunrin’s Chinese-made EV was his first-ever electric car, the owner noted that he wasn’t new to the EV conversation before he made the purchase in December 2022.
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Considering the fact that one of the major challenges that is preventing the popularity of EVs in Nigeria is charging stations, Foluso told Tech Next that: “the purpose of driving this car was part of a business venture myself and some partners planned to establish. We plan to build a network of charging stations. To determine whether the idea would work out, we acquired a few vehicles for a test run.”
Foluso who works as the Administration Officer of The Residences, a luxury housing project in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos told the publication that concerning the issue of charging an EV, it’s been easy for him so far but this may not be the reality for other electric vehicle owners.
Working at The Residences, a building with a 24/7 power supply means that he gets the rare privilege of recharging his EV anytime he wants to. Using the 240V home charger, he noted that it takes his vehicle 12 hours to get a full charge. He also revealed that being at a standstill in Lagos traffic does not drain his battery, instead, he notes that overspeeding and using air-conditioning systems as major reasons for EV batteries being drained faster.
Despite having a place to regularly charge his EV, he noted that he has experienced two challenging issues. He states: “Once, I drove from Lakowe to Amuwo Odofin with 60 kilometers to spare. That was my first experience driving an EV with a low battery. To minimize the battery, I turned off the air-conditioning system and did not overspeed.”
The second occasion was when he ran out of charge some minutes away from his workplace around midnight. He added that the distance was close so he pushed his vehicle to the office.”
Foluso Oyefodunrin’s EV experience shows that when it comes to EVs, Nigeria still has a long way to go. Being able to comfortably drive EVs in Nigeria (to an extent) is a privilege of having access to charging stations.
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