Comparative analysis of city-specific EV applications for passenger transport in Asia and Africa

Abstract

Mobility demand in developing nations has caused traffic congestion, pollution, and limited accessibility. Urban transport's negative externalities must be reduced. Improvements include sufficient, efficient and quality public transit, supporting active mobility like walking and bicycling, ridesharing and carpooling, and elec-tric and driverless automobiles. Cities should be liveable, ecologically sustainable, and easy to navigate. The EU-funded SOLUTIONSplus project, which promotes sustainable urban mobility through electric mobility, has demonstrated e-three-wheelers in Dar es Salam, Tanzania; e-moto taxis in Kigali, Rwanda; e-mopeds and e-bikes in Hanoi, Vietnam; and remodelled Safa tempos and the newly de-signed e-3W for passenger services in Kathmandu. The prototypes, developed, produced and/or assembled by local firms, are expected to replace fossil fuel-powered two- and three-wheelers. They reflect local conditions and aims.The project's impact assessment process uses financial cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to examine potential impacts on all sustainability pillars and will be used to build a wider project that considers local stakeholders' values, goals, and viewpoints. The iterative approach makes all new vehicles profitable, with payback periods frequently under two years. Even with decreased returns, current vehicle improvements remain profitable.. In contrast, existing vehicle upgrades are usually profitable, even if they have lower return rates. The upfront cost of electric vehicles is high. Still, the total cost of opera-tions of electric vehicles has shown that they are more profitable in the long run and also have significant social and environmental benefits. To support e-vehicles, Governments must establish charging infrastructure, create rules that enable manufacturers (technical standards, licensing, etc.), and educate drivers and users to promote e-vehicles as last-mile connections. Last-mile con-nection alternatives need public transit integration to succeed. This creates a joint business model which allows possibilities of upscaling of the solutions.