Technology is prepared for. Sometimes, it arrives at your doorstep without much notice for preparation. And this preparation is done not just infrastructurally but with complementary policies, incentives and laws; dedicated agencies and departments and market-enablers are created to usher in a new technology or a variant of a new technology.
Before the first car rolled out of the shop yards of Charles and Frank Duryea as the curtains drew to a close on the 19th century in 1893, humans had moved around in horse-drawn carriages. Within the next few decades, the idea of car took root and witnessed a steady upgrade in engine capacity and mileage, look, cost and uses. Henry Ford launched the Model T few decades into the 20th century around 1908. The adoption of the then improved technology led to the development of the Interstate Highway, expansion of road network meant for horses alone, installation of street and traffic lights to reduce road collision.
Not long ago, Nigeria had witnessed similar adoption of wireless communication with the grant of license for wireless telephony or GSM as it is known. Nigeria, having liberalized its economy at the inception of a new democratic dispensation in 1999 after years of military rule, embraced this modern means of communication that came with some cultural change and frenzy. People no longer had to schedule their calls at call points and cafes, calls lasted longer and bonds between friends and families grew as communication got a little more flexible. Jobs were done from home behind a personal computer and not a manual typewriter. Many with the highly sought-after digital skills now could participate in the competitive globalized job market.
A look at what Nigeria should be doing in preparation for the growth of electrical vehicles and the likely roles the government needs to play to stimulate this adoption. To start with, there needs to be a deliberate effort towards education on this technology and the following knowledge transfer. According to the Nigeria’s National Automotive Design and Development Council website, about 11,000 automotive artisans have been trained under the N-Power initiative. A commendable figure. This curriculum should be improved to include training on the maintenance of EVs. Implicit in this is the need for reorientation towards energy conservation and use as every wattage yields extra mileage to the user.
There should be an ambitious and realistic target to gradually phase out internal combustion engines (ICE) in the near future. The closer the target is, the stronger the readiness and preparedness. For instance, South Africa plans to have EVs account for 20% of total cars in the country by 2025 and produce first batch of EVs by 2026.
Consequently, building codes within the urban areas will need a review in any EV adoption and expansion plan. Electrical fittings and connections, garage space, metering and safety measures in buildings will need a review and standardization to accommodate this technology. A perfect example is the European Union’s Energy Performance of the Buildings Directive which obligates new buildings and renovated ones to install charging stations in parking spaces. It further states the number of charging points in residential and non-residential apartments respectively. With this, travel time to charging stations and points is reduced as cars are comfortably recharged at home.
Looking inward, the government would need to use tools at its disposal to encourage the adoption of this technology and hopefully, wean citizens off internal combustion engine-powered vehicles. One tool is the use of tax credits and incentives. Tax credit could be a percentage of the value of the vehicle. It could also be in form of tax deductions on investments made in this direction as South Africa has shown. This will be done in collaboration with the Customs Service, Trade and Finance Ministries. Still on this, a fee waiver should be created for these types of vehicles at the point of issuance of number plates and documentations. Furthermore, on waivers and perks, considering the rate of depletion of charged battery life, electric vehicles could enjoy access to dedicated bus lanes.
For a successful preparation and eventual adoption of a new technology, there needs to be an alignment of laws, policies, nudges, a sustainable value chain, users/paying customers, and an ecosystem that fosters learning and innovation. Inasmuch as a technology can take off without one or two of the above-mentioned, their convergence hastens the adoption of any technology. The absence of laws legalizing the use of a technology is a conversation non-starter, same as the absence of policies supporting a legally-recognized technology. In the same breath, without a value chain of players and ultimately, paying users/customers of that technology, it stalls and dies a natural death in that environment.
