BYD Partners With Pilatus Motors To Launch Several Models In Zambia! – CleanTechnica

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It’s good news for Zambia, as BYD has just launched in the country, giving Zambians an opportunity to buy some of the latest electric vehicles from one of the world’s largest electric vehicle firms. BYD has partnered with Pilatus to launch several models there.

It seems like we get news of BYD entering a new market around the world every week now, so it’s hard to keep up! However, it’s great for the overall mission to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles around the world. It’s great to see that Zambia has just joined the party! Another thing we seem to hear in the news is a growing number of BYD BEVs and PHEVs that get launched in China almost monthly now. I hope more of these models will also come to more markets around the world.

Here is the list of models that will be offered in Zambia, along with launch pricing.

The pricing of these models is actually pretty good for this part of the world after factoring in several things, such as shipping, local handing charges, and dealer margins. That’s because earlier this year, the Zambian government moved to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles by:

1. a) Removing customs duty on electric motorcycles, electric vehicles, electric buses, electric trucks, and attendant accessories such as charging systems; and
2. b) Reducing excise duty to 25 percent from 30 percent on hybrid vehicles designed for the transportation of persons.

In neighboring countries such as Zimbabwe and other places like Kenya where the import duties for electric cars are still quite ridiculously high, these same models will retail for a whole lot more, and in some instances for almost double the prices offered in Zambia. Taking all of that into consideration, Zambians are getting a decent deal on all these models.

The Zambian electric car market has been quite slow to get off the mark, and as of the end of 2023, there were still less than 100 electric cars registered in the country. The removal of import duties and the introduction of more electric vehicle models from firms such as BYD should help move sales up a notch. BYD’s entry adds to the small but growing list of new BEVs that are now available on the Zambian market. Last year, Southern Cross, the official distributors of GWM’s brands of motor vehicles, launched the Ora 03 in the Zambian market. Several independent dealers are also adding a mix of new and used electric vehicles, including the 40 kWh and 62 kWh Nissan Leafs. There are several firms that are also installing charging infrastructure. This will help ease a lot of concerns around range anxiety.

One concern that could be still lingering in people’s minds is the issue of electricity rationing, infamously known as load-shedding. Zambia’s electricity generation mix is dominated by hydro. Due to several years of lower than normal rainfall, Zambia’s hydropower plants have had to curtail electricity generation, leading to daily  power rationing schedules. With basic planning, EV owners should be able to comfortably drive their EVs in Zambia even with this load-shedding, as we have seen in Zimbabwe.

Images courtesy of BYD Zambia