Solar Taxi, a firm that specialises in e-mobility, has introduced the Solar Taxi App in order to address the problem that has been affecting transportation in Ghana.
This app ensures that individuals have access to affordable modes of transportation.
The company has taken advantage of the opportunity presented by the increase in the cost of fuel and the rapid expansion of the transportation system to develop an app that enables individuals to access electric rides at a price that is cheaper than the price associated with the services that are offered.
The first day of creation was April 1, 2022, and it took place within a 10-kilometre radius of the communities of East Legon and Airport. Batteries that have been charged with energy are used to power the electric vehicles that are used for transportation. These vehicles also carry an additional portable battery with them in case they need to use it.
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The Aim of Solar Taxi
Solar Taxi is looking forward to implementing this idea in order to eliminate the risks to the environment that are created by the smoke that is produced by vehicles, and they also plan to use it in order to create employment opportunities for at least one hundred Ghanaian youngsters or unemployed residents.
According to Mr Nuwodu, the Head of Solar Taxi Ride, the conveyance that was developed by the company is anticipated to save 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year in addition to saving the average Ghanaian commuter GH10,000 each year on the costs of transportation.
He quoted, “The company estimates to save the environment of 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year while saving the average Ghanaian commuted by GH ₡10,000 each year on transportation cost.”
One of the goals that Solar Taxi hopes to accomplish is the creation of an atmosphere that is more accommodating to Ghanaians and poses fewer difficulties for them. The Managing Director of Taufic Taya Transport and Logistics, Mr. Thomas Takyi, commended them for this achievement as a result. He acknowledges the hard effort that they have put in to make electricity a more cost-effective alternative to petrol, which is becoming more expensive on a daily basis.
He pleaded with Ghanaians to take advantage of the opportunity that had been presented to them by using the Solar Taxi app because of the hassle-free and reasonably priced services that it provides. The Solar Taxi project will promote the use of electric vehicles and will inspire other businesses to use the system that was developed by them.
The Impact of Solar Taxi in Ghana
Solar Taxi is the most successful new form of electric transportation in Ghana. The company started in 2018 by manufacturing two-wheelers, and then two years later it began manufacturing four-wheel cars. Currently, the company sells eight distinct vehicle models to customers in the West African market.
In Ghana, Solar Taxi does not place any limits on the expansion of its customer base, as evidenced by the fact that Jumia and Bolt Food have begun using Solar Taxi’s electric motorcycles to make deliveries in Accra. There are approximately 120 orders placed daily for SolarTaxi Ride, which is the company’s sole ride-hailing service that utilises electric vehicles.
Solar Taxi intended to convert all public university shuttles in Ghana to run on electricity by the beginning of 2022, following an undisclosed additional investment made by climate venture builder Persistent at that time. The company also intends to expand to other regions of the continent, with an eye keen on East Africa.
To fulfil the demand in Ghana, Solar Taxi planned to raise their daily production of assembled vehicles and motorbikes by a factor of ten by the year 2023. However, the company obtains its auto parts from China and India, resulting in skyrocketing import expenditures as a direct result of the conflict in Ukraine and the free decline of the cedi as the local currency.
Transportation in Ghana is now cheaper due to Solar Taxi’s innovation.