Africa is urbanising at an unprecedented rate; cities across the continent are growing at an
average of 3.5% per year, making it the most rapidly urbanising region in the world. As this
growth accelerates, municipalities are faced with worsening air pollution, traffic congestion,
and volatile fuel prices. New energy vehicles (NEVs) – including electric cars, motorcycles, and
buses – offer a promising solution. However, these benefits will remain out of reach without
supportive local infrastructure. For NEVs to take hold at scale, city governments and utility
providers must lead on three critical fronts: planning, zoning, and budgeting. Examples from
Africa and beyond show that municipal action can help to unlock the NEV economy.
Urban Planning Must Prioritise NEVs Early
Proactive planning that incorporates NEV infrastructure from the outset ensures that
charging stations are accessible, well-used, and future-ready. A leading example is Oslo,
Norway, which has integrated EV charging into all urban development since 2012. By 2020,
Oslo had more than 2,000 public chargers – Europe’s highest per capita, and nearly 80% of
new car sales were electric. This success was driven by municipal coordination between
transport, energy, and land-use departments. Sometimes, the “chicken-and-egg” dilemma
must be flipped – early charging infrastructure can lead, rather than follow, demand.
In an example from Africa, the Grand Nokoué Sustainable Urban Mobility Project in Benin is
backed by $200 million in World Bank funding. It aims to transform public transport in five
urban communes through the rollout of electric motorcycles, buses, and boats. This project
exemplifies planned coordinated urban planning and the integration of NEV infrastructure
into broader goals like clean air, improved mobility, and climate resilience.
Zoning Regulations Must Be EV-Ready
Progressive zoning is essential to attracting private investment in NEV infrastructure. In
Shenzhen, China, authorities revised zoning and land-use regulations to permit dedicated EV
charging zones in residential and commercial areas – including repurposed petrol stations. As
a result, Shenzhen has deployed over 410,000 charging points and more than 1,000 ultra-fast
chargers, becoming the first city globally where EV charging infrastructure outnumbers fuel
pumps.
By contrast, many African cities still operate under outdated zoning codes or unclear land
tenure, hindering development. Encouragingly, Addis Ababa is now reviewing its zoning laws
under a new Climate Resilient Transport Strategy. Updating these frameworks to allow EV
charging in both public and private spaces – and offering incentives for developers to
integrate EVSE into new builds, can unlock faster, more equitable infrastructure growth.
Budgeting and Co-Financing Must Be Localised
City councils don’t need to shoulder the financial burden alone. In London, the expansion of
EV infrastructure has been supported through a mix of local council budgets, national grants,
and private sector investment. Initiatives like the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme,
for example, enable boroughs to apply for central funding to install public chargers where
private home charging is not viable, and utilise private sector installation, maintenance and
CPO services.
In East Africa, Kampala has piloted public charging stations co-financed by the UN
Environment Programme and local government, alongside startups such as Zembo Electric,
Gogo, and Kiira Motors. African municipalities should build similar co-financing models –
blending climate finance, donor support, and private capital – while prioritising internal
budgeting for long-term infrastructure needs.
Final Thoughts
Global case studies highlight the pivotal role of city-level leadership in enabling NEV
transitions. African municipalities do not need to reinvent the wheel – but they must align
planning, modernise zoning, and innovate financing. Without this groundwork, NEV adoption
risks remaining niche and fragmented. By embracing NEV infrastructure early, cities can
deliver cleaner, more inclusive, and future-proof urban mobility systems.
Reference List
https://africacenter.org/spotlight/africa-urban-growth-security/
https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/transport-and-communications/veg/faktaartikler-vei-og-ts/norway-is-electric/id2677481/
https://www.sz.gov.cn/en_szgov/news/latest/content/post_11961881.html
https://www.esi-africa.com/news/benin-e-mobility-project-to-transform-public-transport-system/
https://www.mofed.gov.et/media/filer_public/15/31/153174c3-b472-4339-b3bb-fb2c48cad629/transport_cr.pdf
https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/on-street-residential-chargepoint-scheme/
https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/29052025-ev-charging-growth-uk-london-leads-as-infrastructure-expands
https://www.esi-africa.com/news/first-of-10-public-ev-charging-stations-launched-in-uganda/
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