Zimbabwe will by 2030, have done away with diesel and petrol powered vehicles and is likely to adopt electrically powered engines, in an effort to reduce carbon emissions that are largely blamed for fast-tracking global warming, 263Chat has learnt.
In an interview with 263Chat on the sidelines of a National Workshop on Climate Change in Harare, Wednesday, the Principal Climate Changer Researcher, Elisha Moyo, said the move could be positive in as far as mitigating the effects of climate change.
He said this would also decrease the country’s consumption towards fuel budget.
“As Zimbabwe, we are also going to embrace electric cars and the Ministry of Energy will reveal more on that. we are moving towards a world of technology and we won’t be left behind,” said Moyo.
“The fuel import bill will be drastically reduced by endorsing Electric vehicles in the domestic and commercial sectors of the economy,” he noted.
Director of Climate Change Management Department (CCMD) in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Climate, Water and Rural Resettlement, Washington Zhakata noted that Zimbabwe needs to move with time and adopt eco-friendly power mechanisms.
“In some parts of the industry we are having up to eight hours with no power and that is affecting our development as a country. We might need to take advantage of that and substitute with renewable fuel that is also environment-friendly,” highlighted Zhakata.
However, Zhakata also pointed out that it will be very difficult for the economy to get back on track considering that the country is already having power supply deficit which has had a huge toll on the industries.
He also said gas emissions are contributing to climate change as evidenced with the cyclones hitting the continent.
“We will continue to have these cyclones because of the increase in temperatures. The country has also experienced flooding and droughts so now there is a need to start focusing on ways to embrace clean energy globally according to the Paris Agreement,” added Zhakata.
Meanwhile, Zera plans to assist in setting up systems for commercial electric vehicles fleets (car rentals and taxis, among others) by conducting stakeholder awareness workshops; introducing charging points at vantage points; demonstrating the electric vehicles when delivered; developing pamphlets and newspaper adverts as part of the sensitization process.
