Dowgate Properties sets up charging station for electric cars in Naivasha

An electric car charging at a station. PHOTO | POOL

The real estate company Dowgate Properties has set up a charging station for electric vehicles in Naivasha, the first outside Nairobi, as it seeks out part of the fast-growing market.

The station is located at the Naivasha Safari Center, Dowgate’s new shopping mall, whose anchorages are Naivas Supermarket, along the Nairobi-Nakuru motorway.

The company joins others such as ChargeNet and Drive Electric, which have set up centers in Nairobi to supply the equivalent of petrol stations for electric cars.

Electricity distributor Kenya Power says it is ready to work with electric mobility companies by supplying electricity to charge the batteries.

“Car ownership and travel have changed completely in the last decade and will change even more as Kenyans … also begin to shift toward electric vehicles (EVs),” said James Hoddell, Dowgate Properties founder and CEO.

Momentum has grown to adopt electric vehicles in Kenya as calls for clean energy solutions to reverse the impact of climate change grow.

Read: Electric cars are gradually driving onto Kenyan roads

Some of the startups that have established their bases in Kenya include BasiGo, Kiri and Opibus.

BasiGo is pioneering a new generation of environmentally friendly buses to reduce carbon emissions in major cities such as Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu and Mombasa.

Opibus converts diesel and petrol vehicles and motorcycle engines into electric, while Kiri manufactures electric motorcycles.

The Safari Center, which also has eateries and play areas, is the first shopping center at Dowgates. The company plans to open a similar center in Makutano along the Nairobi-Nyeri road.

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