The Energy Ministry has taken delivery of Ghana’s first chargeable vehicle which runs 100 percent on electricity.
The Marketing Manager of Hyundai Motors and Investment Limited, Abdul Razak, disclosed that the company made the manufacturing in collaboration with the Energy Commission.
The vehicle charges fully for 31 hours and can travel to and from Accra to Kumasi although there are various stages of charging.
On how to get stations for charging, Mr Razak observed that plans were ongoing to ensure the installations of charging stations across the country.
The cost at the moment is GH¢360,000.00 due to high cost of import charges.
He indicated that a petition has been sent to the Minister to help reduce the import charges so as to ensure affordability.
With the delivery of the vehicle, the Energy Minister noted that Ghana has become the first country in Africa to start using chargeable vehicle.
Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, who received the vehicle from Hyundai Motors and Investment Ghana Limited for trial, noted that as the world fights climate change, the emergence of chargeable vehicle in the country will ensure that the country doesn’t become a dumping site for other countries that are getting rid of fuel cars.
He opined that the delivery of the car is a call on the Electricity Company of Ghana and Northern Electricity Company to be innovative in ensuring that there is available power in the country.
The Energy Minister charged the company to make the car affordable so that ordinary people can buy and use for commercial purposes to help reduce fuel emissions.
He charged the technical staff of the ministry to test and report on the effectiveness of the vehicle.