“If the car saves me fuel money, I will buy it. But if there is nowhere to charge it, what should I do?” A driver at Kaneshie summed up the challenge facing Ghana’s electric vehicle ambitions.
A study published in Frontiers in Sustainable Energy Policy questioned 800 commercial drivers and private car owners in Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Takoradi. The participants included taxi, bus and truck drivers, as well as owners of other commercial vehicles.
The research examined drivers’ beliefs, intentions and views of government support rather than measuring exhaust emissions. Using Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, it explored how environmental awareness, the surrounding policy and infrastructure, and individual decisions combine to influence behaviour.
Drivers who were aware of tax incentives showed a stronger intention to adopt electric vehicles and reported more sustainable energy habits. The same was true of those with greater environmental awareness.
The strongest result was the way awareness affected the value of incentives. Tax waivers had a larger impact on adoption intentions among drivers who understood the environmental and health reasons for switching. However, those drivers were less likely to assume that incentives alone would produce sustainable energy use or eliminate emissions.
That caution reflects Ghana’s circumstances. The country imports about 70% of its fuel, while transport accounts for about 45% of national carbon emissions, according to the Energy Commission. Public charging infrastructure remains limited, meaning a tax waiver cannot by itself solve the practical barriers.
The study also applied the ideas of observational learning and self-efficacy. At union hubs including GPRTU and PROTOA, drivers can learn from colleagues who discuss fuel savings and electric vehicles. Yet many remain uncertain that they can make the technology work in their own circumstances because vehicles are expensive and chargers are scarce.
International experience shows how policy and infrastructure can reinforce one another. Norway removed VAT and import tax during the 1990s, introduced free tolls and bus-lane access, and expanded its charging network. More than 80% of new cars sold there are now electric.
China combined subsidies and number-plate advantages in crowded cities with a large charging rollout. In the United States, a federal credit of 7,500 dollars and state incentives helped middle-class buyers, particularly once five-year ownership costs made electricity cheaper than petrol.
African countries have followed approaches suited to high-use commercial vehicles. Rwanda removed duties on electric motorcycles and worked with companies such as Ampersand on battery-swapping stations. Kenya saw BasiGo introduce electric buses in Nairobi through a pay-as-you-drive model. Morocco manufactures Renault electric models for export, while South Africa is developing local battery assembly despite power challenges.
The potential gains for Ghanaian drivers include lower running costs, with electricity per kilometre estimated at between one-third and one-half the cost of petrol, as well as reduced maintenance and no oil changes. Cleaner transport could improve air quality in Accra and Kumasi, reduce fuel-import dependence and support jobs in charging, battery servicing and vehicle assembly.
The research covered 800 unionised operators in four cities and measured intentions rather than purchases or emissions. Its policy recommendations include publicising incentives in Twi, Ga, Ewe and Hausa, linking waivers to verified commercial use, and placing charging and battery-swap points at lorry stations rather than only in Airport City.
The writer is Dr Ebenezer Arthur Duncan, Senior Lecturer in the Marketing Department at University of Professional Studies.
