First charge

Editorial

TO join a globalised world, technology is an imperative. In sync with that, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, unveiled the first electric car in Nigeria recently.

The concept of the electric car has been around for over two decades. In North America and Europe, it is no longer regarded as novel. It marks a major step towards a post-carbon age. It began with cars with systems half-electric and half fuel, adapting to ancient and modern. But automobile technology has improved from hybrid to fully electric. Charging points, just like fuel stations, have been installed around cities and highways.

That is the spirit of the unveiling of the electric car in Lagos.

“The future that we see is the future of technology and this is the technology that we are talking about,” said Governor Sanwo-Olu. “This is 21st Century technology that has been brought into our country.”

The car on display was the Hyundai Kona. It is a product of Stallion Group, and the company attests that it is 100 percent electric. One of the graces is that it has zero emission with 482km driving range. Once fully charged it can cover a time of nine hours and thirty-five minutes, the equivalent of a drive from Lagos to Warri.

With this new development, we can start to look towards the era where oil will become less central to our lives. We have never as a nation pretended to be in touch with cutting-edge technology. We have the zeal to consume rather than create.

The Hyundai Kona is a promising beginning. It is not an innovation but it was assembled here in Nigeria. Decades ago, Nigeria started car assembly plants and two major automakers, Peugeot and Volkswagen became groundbreakers. Today, we can boast of a manufacturer that has moved up a notch. Innoson makes vehicles whose design, technology and DNA are Nigerian.

“For us, we see a renewed hope, for us we see a tomorrow coming today, for us we see and believe in the Stallion dream,” the governor said.

The company is doing its work by reviving a moribund plant on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The electric car cannot operate without the infrastructure of charging. So the governor said Lagos State government is working with Ibile Oil and Gas and other private concerns to install charging points across the city.

It is also heartening that Managing Director of the Stallion Group, Rohtagi Manish, said most of the materials for Hyundai Kona car was sourced locally.

We expect this car to be the first in a series of fully electric automobiles in the country. They should take a cue from Stallion Group, but not limit it to sedans. Trucks, buses, pickup vans, trailers will help “electrify” our roads and highways. As Manish said, the goal is to make a green, eco-friendly Nigeria. It is a plus for the environment in an age which fossil-fuel has been feared as a degrader of the world. Our big cities are crawling under the burden of a carbon world.

It also promises to open a new window in our economy. It will help showcase the talent of Nigeria’s young and create jobs not only in carbon-free car plants but also spin-offs as we have seen in the communications sector when telecom added wireless services.

As Governor Sanwo-Olu said, it will save Nigeria the hassle of pump price debates and anxieties. We must also brace ourselves for the disruptions it will engender in the oil industry since jobs there may start becoming extinct.

The Federal Government and other states should also follow the footsteps of Lagos State, a state that continues to play exemplary roles.

As Governor Sanwo-Olu noted, “This is a way to go, and it is the future that we are seeing now.”