TotalEnergies E&P is encouraging discussions about electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in Uganda to support the country’s transition to cleaner energy sources. Currently, the lack of charging stations is a significant obstacle to the adoption of EVs in Uganda, with only a few entities like Kiira Motor Corporation and private individuals installing their charging points.
To address this issue, TotalEnergies E&P Uganda (TEPU) has partnered with Outbox Uganda, a technology innovation and entrepreneurship support center, to organize an innovation challenge called a hackathon. The goal of this initiative is to gather innovative ideas for improving the availability of EV charging stations.
Philippe Groueix, General Manager of TEPU Uganda, acknowledged that investing in EV infrastructure is challenging because there are very few EVs in Uganda. He also noted that the convenience of charging EVs differs from refueling conventional vehicles, as EV charging often takes several hours. This presents a challenge for motorists and charging station operators to coordinate convenient charging times.
Groueix emphasized that this transitional inconvenience will eventually stabilize, but the high costs of EVs in Uganda may prolong the transition. He stated, “Addressing today’s carbon neutrality challenge requires a collective focus on innovation. In Uganda, the Company is part of the energy cluster on e-mobility think tank and is supporting innovation in line with e-mobility.”
During the hackathon, participants were tasked with proposing solutions to identify optimal locations for EV charging points in Kampala. The winning solution, which utilized artificial intelligence to determine these locations, earned the team 18.5 million shillings. The runners-up, consisting of ISBAT University Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence students, won 11.1 million shillings.
Outbox Chief of Staff, Wendy Nabasanga, expressed her organization’s desire to contribute to the energy transition by partnering with TotalEnergies. She noted that the three-month hackathon period was somewhat limiting for participants to fully develop their ideas. However, the winning projects will be handed over to TotalEnergies for further development by experts.
In addition to the winning team, two other teams, Data Knight and Shalom, tied for third place, each receiving 3.7 million shillings. More than 400 Ugandans between the ages of 18 and 45 submitted applications to participate in the challenge, which was conducted by Outbox Uganda on behalf of TotalEnergies Uganda between July and September 2023.
The hackathon demonstrated the potential for young people to address societal challenges in partnership with the private sector, reaffirming a commitment to implementing the selected solutions by TotalEnergies in Uganda and other mobility stakeholders in the country.
