By 
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has warned that Africa risks becoming a dumping ground for second-hand diesel vehicles if it does not transition to electric vehicles (EVs).
Olayinka Bandele, of the ECA’s Inclusive Industrialisation Section at the Sub-regional Office for Southern Africa, highlighted that the continent could end up with 40 percent of Western second-hand diesel vehicles, some up to 40 or 20 years old.
Bandele made these remarks in an interview on Monday, on the sidelines of the E-Mobility Capacity-Building Workshop in Lusaka, aimed at developing regional value chains for electric mobility between Morocco, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“If Africa does not transition, as Europe is doing, where will all the second-hand vehicles go?” Bandele questioned.
“About 40 percent of the West’s second-hand vehicles, which can be 40 or 20 years old, end up in Africa. Do we want to continue buying second-hand cars, or do we want to create a local economy that supports buying products made here?” she added.
While advocating for the transition to EVs, Bandele acknowledged the challenges Africa faces, including a lack of proper infrastructure.
She emphasized the importance of developing the necessary infrastructure to support the sale and use of electric vehicles.
“You cannot transition in a vacuum,” she said.
“The infrastructure must be in place to support EV sales and their daily use. There is much work to be done in E-Mobility, including building the ecosystem, addressing servicing costs, and ensuring the availability of components.”
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments