Nairobi — Chinese automotive brand Neta announced its entry into the Kenyan market Wednesday, with Moja EV Kenya, a motor dealer, as its distributor.

Zhou Jiang, the overseas business general manager at Neta, told journalists in Nairobi that the firm will initially offer the Neta V model, which will retail for 4 million Kenyan shillings (about 31,000 U.S. dollars) and has a range of about 380 km on a full charge. "The electric vehicle is ideal for the Kenyan market because it offers affordability combined with low operational costs compared to conventional vehicles," Zhou said.

Neta chose to establish a presence in Kenya because it is a regional economic hub and will serve as a gateway for exporting e-vehicles to the rest of the African continent, Zhou added.

Wang Aiping, chief executive officer of Moja EV Kenya, said they will initially import about 160 vehicles from China over the next month and plan to partner with Kenya's Associated Vehicle Assemblers to assemble 250 e-vehicles every month. Wang also mentioned plans to begin exporting Chinese e-vehicles from Kenya to the rest of Africa by the end of the year.

He said that electric automobiles have advantages, relying on batteries for movement and lacking internal combustion engines, which reduces the need for regular mechanical maintenance.

The NETA V model targets taxi drivers and can go up to 380 kilometres when fully charged.

An e-mobility firm is seeking to transform Kenya's transport sector through the introduction of new electric vehicle models.

MojaEv Ltd, a new entrant in the market, aims to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable transport with its NETA V electric vehicles, which target taxi drivers and can travel up to 380 kilometres on a full charge.

Buyers will also receive new chargers and five years of free maintenance.