ADDIS ABABA – NAIROBI (17–25 SEPTEMBER)

Retesting the East African Corridor with an Electric Convoy and Heavy-Duty Vehicle

The Road to Africa Addis Ababa–Nairobi expedition will take place immediately following the Nordic-Africa EV Summit in Addis Ababa. An electric convoy, including a heavy-duty vehicle (HDV), will travel from Addis Ababa to Nairobi along the same route tested in the opposite direction during last year’s Nairobi–Addis journey.

The expedition will assess how charging infrastructure, operational readiness and cross-border conditions have developed since the first journey. Including an electric HDV will allow the team to test the corridor from a freight and logistics perspective, examining the practical requirements for electrifying heavy-duty transport between Ethiopia and Kenya.

Along the route, the convoy will engage governments, utilities, charging operators, vehicle manufacturers, logistics companies, development partners and local communities. The journey will also document practical experiences, infrastructure gaps and progress made over the past year.

WHY RETEST THE CORRIDOR

Last year’s Nairobi–Addis expedition demonstrated that long-distance electric travel between Kenya and Ethiopia is possible, while identifying important challenges related to charging access, power availability, road conditions and cross-border operations.

Returning along the same corridor provides an opportunity to measure progress, retest previously used charging locations and better understand whether the route can reliably support a larger electric convoy and different classes of vehicles.

The inclusion of an electric HDV will take the test further. Heavy-duty vehicles have higher energy requirements and operate under different commercial and logistical conditions from passenger EVs. The expedition will therefore examine charging capacity, grid readiness, route planning, vehicle performance and the operational needs of electric freight transport.

More than a demonstration drive, Road to Africa Addis Ababa–Nairobi will generate practical comparisons between the two journeys and provide new insights into what is required to develop a reliable, connected and low-emission transport corridor between Ethiopia and Kenya.