What is the CO2 reduction potential of e-mobility? 

The challenge

Uganda’s transport sector is witnessing a significant increase in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to population growth and increasing demand for mobility services. The transport sector is largely dominated by motorbikes that represent around 70% of the total vehicles. Their growing number is causing an increasing level of CO₂ emissions associated with the transport sector given the dependency on the use of diesel and gasoline. A climate friendly alternative is represented by the deployment, at scale, of electric motorcycles. This alternative would reduce the fossil fuel consumption and associated emissions, especially if powered by renewable energy. However, e-mobility is still a very recent development in Uganda and dissemination of e-motorbikes face challenges. 

The goal

The carbon markets, through new revenues from the sale of carbon credits, have the potential to contribute to decarbonization and transformation of the transport sector in Uganda. To quantify, in a transparent and robust manner, the mitigation impacts of e-motorbikes, and thus quantify the carbon credits that can be generated, well established carbon methodologies must be followed. The project, “Monitoring CO₂ emission reductions to accelerate the introduction of electric vehicles,” aims to pilot the implementation of a monitoring, reporting and verification system of e-motorbikes operations that is fully aligned with a selected carbon standard in the market. This will allow for quantification of the mitigation impacts achieved. 

Our partners

Project partners are Perspectives Climate Research gGmbH (PCR) and the Ugandan company, Bodawerk (BW). Founded in 2017, Bodawerk focuses on the maintenance and recycling of battery cells and the production of electric vehicles. PCR, based in Freiburg, Germany, is an independent and internationally active research company with extensive expertise on the functioning of the carbon markets.  

The approach

This intervention will select five motorbikes and their respective drivers in both rural and urban areas in Uganda that will continuously record, and store data required for quantification of carbon credits. The pilot e-motorbikes will utilize smart batteries that allow for remote data sharing and a live overview of the e-motorbikes operations. 

The data collected from the batteries will be stored and processed according to methodological requirements for the highest robustness and transparency in the mitigation estimates. Based on this data, the project will generate knowledge on the challenges and data gaps that could be encountered when working with e-vehicles and will identify options to address them in a practical manner. The pilot results will be available to anyone interested in deployment of e-vehicles with the aim to engage with the carbon markets, and gain support in Uganda and in other counties in Eastern Africa.