[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] Hyundai Motor's Kona electric vehicle has been recorded as the first electric car to operate in West Africa's Ghana.
On the 11th (local time), according to the Korean Embassy in Ghana, the Ghanaian Ministry of Energy recently submitted a report to the local Hyundai Motor office evaluating the performance of the Kona electric vehicle, which was provided through Hyundai's local dealership in June.
The report stated in its overall assessment that the Kona has various advantages, including spacious passenger space, comfortable ride quality, easy vehicle control, and high energy savings.
In particular, it evaluated that the fast acceleration and precise handling are suitable for highway driving, and that using the drive motor as a generator during braking results in high energy savings.
It also added that the vehicle is equipped with various safety devices, providing a safe and comfortable driving environment even in congested urban traffic conditions or city driving.
Some areas for improvement were also pointed out. The high sales price was identified as an obstacle. The price of one Kona is about 350,000 Ghanaian cedis (approximately 67 million KRW).
The report suggested that additional support measures, such as installment transaction guarantees, are necessary to increase the electric vehicle adoption rate.
Furthermore, since traffic congestion frequently occurs on urban roads in Ghana and pedestrian, bicycle, and livestock routes are often not separated, the advantage of electric vehicles producing almost no noise during operation could actually increase the driver's safety burden, requiring countermeasures in this regard.
The Ghanaian government, led by the Ministry of Energy in 2019, had set a goal to establish an electric vehicle operation infrastructure, including charging station installation, aiming to distribute 1,000 electric vehicles within the next three years, according to the Korean Embassy in Ghana.
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