- Elvis T. Thomas, co-owner and Head of Operations at Emergi Liberia, is driving the company’s mission of community empowerment through innovative solutions like electric solar-powered Kekes. The company focuses on sustainability and social inclusion by hiring only female drivers.
- Emergi Liberia’s approach prioritizes improving drivers’ livelihoods and customer experiences by ensuring fair wages, healthier work schedules, continuous learning programs, and a user-friendly ride-hailing app.
- Emergi plans to build solar charging stations for its e-Kekeh fleet to combat Liberia’s unreliable power supply, ensuring longer operational distances and reliability.
Elvis T. Thomas is co-owner and Head of Operations at Emergi Liberia. He is dedicated to empowering his community through innovation and positive impact. He brings a wealth of experience in Civil Engineering, Project Management, and Architecture, alongside his participation in programs like the Dutch Young Expert Programmes, Startupbootcamp – Impact City Accelerator, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network—Youth Investment Readiness Program.
As the Head of Operations of Emergi Liberia, Elvis is spearheading the introduction of electric solar-powered Kekes in Liberia. The company has just started operations in Monrovia, the capital, and after a successful initial phase, it plans to expand across Liberia and other African countries.
With a service and business model focused on improving the drivers’ livelihood and customer experience. Emergi Liberia is taking a more holistic approach by ensuring decent income, healthier work schedules and a continuous learning program for the drivers. The model also prioritizes safety, good customer care and customer relations, developing a bright and user-friendly ride-hailing app, and collaborating with the relevant stakeholders– including the Ministry of Transport, the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency, the LEAP Network, and others– to leverage its impact.
Informed by comprehensive market research and user tests, Emergi’s market entry is as strong as its impact. Emergi is championing inclusivity by hiring only female drivers to address the significant gender gap in Liberia’s transportation sector and promote social inclusion.
The company’s lease-to-go business model aims to alleviate the burden of charging and maintenance of the drivers while empowering them economically.
In an April 2024 interview, Elvis T. Thomas told the Electricity Hub, “We want to make an impact that matters, and we think having female drivers will promote inclusion.”
To ensure the smooth operation of the electric Kekeh, especially considering Liberia’s unreliable power supply, Emergi plans to construct solar charging stations in strategic geographic locations across its service.
These stations will primarily rely on solar energy, with grid backup, to sustain the e-Kekeh fleet. According to Elvis T. Thomas, the solar charging stations will be constructed with solar panels and battery storage systems to work alongside the panels.
Through rigorous testing, Emergi has determined that its electric Kekehs can cover longer distances–100 kilometres– on a single charge than the conventional models in the city, which cover about 60 kilometres a day. This means Emergi Kekes, built by automotive manufacturer Sazgar, lasts over a day at full charge, enhancing drivers’ efficiency and reliability. According to Elvis T. Thomas, Emergi’s e-kekehs have different speed modes to change the vehicle’s performance characteristics. These include
There is Normal Mode, which is for everyday comfortable driving; Eco Mode, which emphasizes energy preservation; and Neutral Mode. The ride-hailing app, built through co-creation with the drivers and customers, highlights the company’s values—easy and uncomplicated, joy and happiness, and forward-thinking.
In line with its expansion plans and an effort to support EVs and renewable energy more broadly in Liberia, Emergi is proud to collaborate with LEAP Network through the Drive Electric Campaign, the Ministry of Transport, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other stakeholders to develop policies that promote the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and other climate-smart technologies.
Moreover, Emergi is driving awareness campaigns nationwide to encourage the adoption of renewable energy and foster a cleaner environment. Through these initiatives, Emergi Liberia is poised to revolutionize transportation in Liberia and beyond while championing sustainability and social inclusion.