An automotive expert, Mr. Kingsley Uba, has charged the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) on the need to create more awareness on the Electric Vehicles (EVs) adding that there is need for Nigerians to know about the vehicle.
Uba who is a Director at First System Refinishing Limited, dealers with automobile paints, made this call last week in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos.
He also said that the future of automobile industry lies in EVs even as he added that Nigeria should not be left behind in this global shift from the normal petrol operated cars to EVs.
“Even the NADDC that have provided a prototype kind of Electric Vehicles should advance it, they should create awareness people should begin to know about it because it is the future of automobile industry. Maybe in another 20 or 30 years but that is where the world is going and Nigeria should not be left behind because it will help us. Because of the advantages of EVs government in advanced countries are encouraging its development”
Explaining further, he said that the advantages of this new development includes reduction in the level of emission adding that with the level of acceptance by vehicle manufacturers worldwide the EVs will be visible within the next decade.
“The advantages include reduction in air pollution and green house emission amongst others. And with the positive response of vehicle manufacturers worldwide it is expected that in the a decade sales of electric vehicles are projected to include both those with internal combustion engines, with fuel diesel and even with the natural liquid gas that will even fuel the vehicles. There is a vehicle from Greenville which is being powered by NLG gas but than one might not stay long because by the time electric vehicles come to Nigeria it will be a thing of the past”
Onu however fingered power as one of the major challenges that the new automobile will face even as he expressed optimism that it will be well handled at the appropriate time.
He also announced that FOTRON Motors has sealed up a deal to manufacture electric vehicles for Egypt.
“But then I know there are challenges even the power sector is not ready for it but when it starts the power sector will sit up”
“Recently FOTRON Motors, sealed up a deal to manufacture electric motors in that country, Egypt is already adopting the approach and one cannot imagine the Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) the deal will bring to that country in the few years to come. Nigeria must not adopt a set down and look approach”
“This is the right time investors, the government and agencies concerned to act in the right direction. Nations such as China, Germany and UK in 2017, announced plans to stop the use of petrol, diesel and all that to start the use of electric vehicles by the year 2040”, he concluded.
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