Driving an Inclusive Transition to Electric Vehicle in African Cities: A Case Study of Dakar

Abstract

Dakar published in 2021 its first Climate Action Plan (CAP), a first step to achieve the City’s commitment of net zero CO2 by 2050. The CAP sets out key priority actions which among others, target an Electric Vehicle (EV) market penetration of 18% by 2050, coupled with passenger modal shifts. Until now, global EV deployment has greatly benefited from several regulatory and fiscal incentive measures, with most high-income countries already having the grid prerequisites for large market penetration of EVs. In this Viewpoint, we examine Dakar’s EV vision in contrast with global trends and make the case for more locally relevant and inclusive EV strategies for Sub Saharan African cities. We then explore the foundations of such a forward-looking EV agenda and argue that current efforts should support the electrification of buses and minibuses for greater positive social impacts.