In Ghana, SolarTaxi has introduced Africa’s first electric-car-only ride-hailing service to provide clients with a climate-friendly choice for their convenience and value for money.
SolarTaxi, Ghana’s first e-mobility startup, has released Africa’s first dedicated electric car ride-hailing smartphone app to provide clients with a climate-friendly choice for their convenience and value for money.
The SolarTaxi app which goes live on April 1, 2022, on the Google Playstore and iOS App Store will operate only in East Legon and Airport within a 10kilometre radius.
Addressing the launch of the service on Thursday in Accra, the Growth Lead for Solar Taxi, Mr. Eugene Amponsah said the service will initially start out with 10 cars and would later be expanded to 100 electronic vehicles by the end of the year.
The Head of SolarTaxi Ride, Mr. Gilbert Sefa Nuwordu, commenting on the new initiative said that although there were many ride-hailing apps in the country, his outfit hopes to become a major disruptor in the space by offering environmentally-conscious clients and partners a cost-effective means of commuting in Ghana.
He said the service promises to benefit users during the traffic surges on the other ride-hailing app with cheaper cost of services and zero cost of fuel consumption to drivers. The company estimates that to save 2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year while saving the average Ghanaian commuted by 10,000 cedis each year on transportation costs.
Mr. Nuwordu said that, unlike other ride-hailing apps that introduce increased prices during peak times, SolarTaxi provides a standard charge every time of the day even during peak times.
“This innovative initiative does not only seek to provide customers with the best of transport services but to contribute to climate change issues and appeal more to environmental enthusiasts. SolarTaxi also proves to be an opportunity for job creation for Ghanaians,” Mr. Nuwordu said.
“As a company, we seek to offer new and innovative ways of transport. Our main aim is to offer e-mobility services in a clean and environmentally friendly manner. SolarTaxi App is the new offering that will seek to offer cheap and affordable transportation to residents of East Legon and Airport within a 10km radius. All the vehicles will be electric and we will offer 80% cheaper rates than what’s already on the market. We are looking to onboard 100 electric cars by the close of the year translating to 100 jobs for the youth.”
Solar Taxi began as an initiative in September 2018 and was launched by Kumasi Hive in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation. The company designs, locally assembles, and distributes a variety of electric cars and motorcycles. It also includes two years of free maintenance after purchase.
Credit: Ghana Daily Graphic
