In Kenya, tourists visiting the capital Nairobi now have the opportunity to travel between the airport and their hotels in electric vehicles. This is thanks to a recent partnership between start-up Equator Mobility and logistics service provider Hummingbird Transport (HBT).
In Kenya, the hospitality sector is joining national efforts to accelerate the green transition. Start-up Equator Mobility has signed an agreement with Nairobi-based logistics service provider Hummingbird Transport (HBT). The agreement will allow HBT to offer electric vehicles from Equator Mobility’s fleet to guests at several hotels in the capital.
“The tourism industry has a role to play in the electric vehicle movement and we are delighted to see our vision gradually become a reality. This partnership will show the world that Africa can lead the transition to low-carbon transport,” says Martin Murungi, HBT’s managing director. The company plans to acquire over 100 electric vehicles for its regional network by 2025.
The partnership between HBT and Equator Mobility will enable these institutions to reduce their carbon footprint in the face of the supply of thermal vehicles that add to Kenya’s air pollution.
Investing in green mobility
“Commercial vehicles such as those operated by HBT will play a central role in the e-mobility revolution in Africa. Kenya’s urban logistics sector urgently needs to embrace new technologies and business models in order to mitigate the global warming that is disproportionately affecting the entire continent,” says Harry Minter, head of renewable energy at Maris, the Mauritius-based parent company of Equator Mobility.
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In September 2022, the company led by Charlie Tryon completed a funding round that enabled it to raise $12 million from Proparco, the private sector financing arm of the French Development Agency (AFD). The funds will enable Maris to strengthen its investments in agriculture and forestry, renewable energy, real estate services, business services and mining, particularly in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Kenya.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
