Electric Kekeh

Emergi is currently getting ready to import the first electric kekehs into Liberia. Sustainable, reliable and affordable transport can have an incredible impact on people’s livelihoods in emerging markets and Emergi is planning to launch the first pilot in this field!

An opportunity for Liberia

The promise of electric auto rickshaws is overwhelming. They lead to reduced carbon dioxide emissions; cleaner air and less noise in the streets; and extra income for the drivers. Countries like India and Sri Lanka have been successful markets for the introduction of these electric auto rickshaws as they offer affordable and convenient ways of transportation. In recent years the West African market for gasoline-powered auto rickshaws, in Liberia called kekehs, has been surging. They are swiftly shooting through the zigzagging streets. Now it is time to introduce kekehs that run on clean energy and are more reliable and more affordable. We believe that this renewable energy solution will create massive economic and social impact.

The West African market is ready for an electric vehicle revolution!

INNOVATION

The electric vehicles that we will introduce are packed with additional innovations. A solar panel will be built in the roof that will produce ⅓ of the daily energy requirements. A GPS tracker will give the driver real-time traffic and customer information to maximize her productivity. An on-board camera system will bolster driver’s safety and mobile money will improve payment efficiency. However, introducing innovative products is not enough to create the sustained impact we are looking for. At Emergi we wholeheartedly believe in providing the best products and services to our customers. That is why we will introduce the innovative electric kekehs with an innovative leasing business model. Now, the driver has instant access to this superior electric vehicle that requires far less maintenance and has lower energy costs; and all the while she is expanding her ownership over it.

SUSTAINABILITY

Fuel supply chains are fragile. We saw this during the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and now the Covid-19, an outbreak in 2020. Instantly, there are fuel shortages, as cars and kekehs alike are queuing up at the gas stations. Electric kekeh's are not dependent on fuel so will not be hindered by shortages. However, making the introduction of electric kekeh's truly sustainable means for us that we have to include solar EV charging stations. This drastically brings down the cost of electricity for the driver and increases accessibility to sustainable energy resources in the countries we work in . It also increases the reliability of the electricity supply since the national grid often suffers from power outages. Therefore we are introducing these concurrently with the electric kekeh's. As we generate profits we will continue investing into the EV solar charging network.

INCLUSION

In the spirit of our mission, Emergi also conducted a detailed study of the urban transport market in Liberia. In doing so, we have documented overwhelming evidence to support the introduction of an improved, electric, light vehicle. Innovating both on the cost of ownership and driver experience, this EV provides a better value proposition for the driver/owner and increases the opportunity to climb the socio-economic ladder while decreasing the carbon footprint.

"We spoke with kekeh mechanics, kekeh drivers, kekeh owners -no payment pending, kekeh owners -payment pending, kekeh sales managers,kekeh service managers and kekeh country managers in Liberia"

At Emergi we want to make sustainable innovations available for everyone and these innovations should always respond to needs on the ground. This is why, at Emergi, we co-create our products together with potential users and our customers. Therefore, we conducted a two-month research mission in Liberia to understand their needs and wishes while developing a small urban vehicle. In this mission our researchers talked to dozens of kekeh drivers, renewable energy actors, kekeh sellers and other stakeholders. This research mission culminated in a 3-day design-thinking workshop. For this workshop we invited Liberians from the renewable energy sector, transportation sector and others who showed huge enthusiasm for our project. We presented them with the 5 overarching challenges we identified in the market research.

How to get more female drivers
How to make more money with a kekeh
How to improve payment systems
How to ensure driving on renewable energy
How to empower the kekeh driver more

In the two days of design thinking workshop the group came up with incredible solutions and ideas that will guide us in designing the ideal sustainable urban vehicle for Liberia and the wider West African market.

Leandra Stolk, a graphic designer, supporting the Emergi team for these two days captured the design challenge in a fantastic visualisation.

Why are we doing this?

Because we want to introduce a more sustainable means of transport!

with,
‍

Less pollution in the city
Less noise for the driver
Reduced CO2 emissions & positive impact environment
Reduced maintenance costs (from US$4,000 per year to US$2,500)
Drivers can earn more and climb the socioeconomic ladder
Liberia's resilience is improved as off-grid energy reduces dependency on fragile supply chains

What can you do to help?

Crowd Funding Campaign

Our campaign is LIVE!

Emergi has launched a crowd-funding campaign to introduce 3 electric kekehs in Monrovia, Liberia. The E-Kekeh's will sport innovations to improve profitability for the driver such as cameras, GPS, courier services and charging possibilities. The strongest innovative solutions will be incorporated into a business model and rolled out on a larger scale.

Not only will you be a part of the Energy Revolution with Emergi, you will also be the recipient of these unique artwork exclusively created for our EV Pilot crowdfunding campaign

Find out more

Stay tuned and contact us if you want to find out whether this EV revolution is possible in your country!

Get IN TOUCH