- The electric vehicle assembly would commence in December.
- EVs are affordable, costing around N18 to N20m and do not require maintenance or frequent charging.
American Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturer SAGLEV said an EV assembly plant would commence operations in Lagos by December 2023. This was made known by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of SAGLEV, Dr Sam Faleye, at a media launch to showcase the advantages of EVs in Lagos. Faleye said EVs have come to stay while urging Nigerians to hop on the moving train or be left behind.
According to him, some of the major misconceptions about EVs have to do with their affordability and the need for frequent charging, which are unfounded. He said EVs are affordable and need less maintenance compared to Internal Combustion Engines (ICE). He said that with the rising costs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, embracing electric vehicles has become cheaper and more cost-effective. Addressing the charging issues, identified as another major source of worry for EV users, Faleye disclosed that an EV does not need frequent charging.
He added, “In the area of affordability, it will shock you to note that one of our brand-new EVs on display goes for around N18-N20m, and if you compare it with a brand-new Toyota Camry that goes for about N40m, you will agree with me that the EV is shockingly cheap. In the area of charging, a fully charged car can travel for as long as 300 kilometres on a full charge. This is equal to driving from Oshodi to Ajah 10 times. So you do not need to charge your car every day. All you require is to charge the car about once or twice per week. It also takes about four hours with a level two charger to fully charge a car, and this can be done while you sleep.”