In July the government waived import taxes on electric and hybrid vehicles as well as equipment used by charging stations, saying it hoped the move would accelerate Rwanda’s transition from fuel-based transport and “reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.

Rwanda Electric Motors CEO Donald Kabanda told AFP his pitch to riders rested on the long-term affordability of electric vehicles. He said a single electric battery charge could cover up to 60 kilometres (37 miles) compared to 35 kilometres for a litre of petrol.

It costs around 900 Rwandan francs (87 US cents) to charge the battery compared to around 1,000 Rwandan francs for a litre of petrol, he added.

Read more: TechExplore