Electric Vehicles in Ride-Hailing: The Future is Here

What is the single biggest threat to your driving business?

Is it the ride-hailing app's commission? Is it the competition from other drivers? Is it the rising cost of spare parts?

No.

The biggest threat to your profit margin, the one that eats away at your earnings every single day, is the fuel pump. It is our single largest, most volatile, and most uncontrollable expense. We are completely at its mercy. When fuel prices go up, our income goes down. It’s that simple.

The pain of this is something we feel every week. You have a great week of earnings, you see a healthy balance in your account, and then you spend a huge chunk of it on petrol. It feels like you are working just to pay the fuel companies.

I saw this pain coming years ago. That’s why I made the switch to my Toyota Aqua, a full hybrid. The fuel savings were immediate and significant. On days I was stuck in CBD traffic, the electric motor would kick in, and I could literally watch my fuel consumption drop. It was my first taste of freedom from the tyranny of the fuel pump.

But the future is not hybrid. The future is fully electric.

For years, Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Kenya felt like a dream. Something for the rich or for other countries. But the ground is shifting under our feet. Companies like BasiGo and Roam are making electric mobility a reality. The charging infrastructure is growing. And for the first time, making the switch to a fully electric car is becoming a serious business decision for ride-hailing drivers.

This isn't about saving the planet, although that's a nice bonus. This is about saving your business. This is a deep dive into the real numbers, the real challenges, and the huge opportunity that electric vehicles represent.

The Real Cost of Driving: Petrol vs. Hybrid vs. Electric

To understand the future, we have to be honest about the present. The choice of car is the most important financial decision a driver makes. Let’s break down the real costs of the three main options on our roads today.

1. The Petrol Car (e.g., Toyota Vitz, Nissan Note)
This is the workhorse of the Kenyan ride-hailing industry. They are cheap to buy, and every mechanic knows how to fix them. But their reliance on petrol is their weakness.

• Initial Cost: Relatively low. A used, well-maintained model is accessible.
• Cost Per KM: This is the killer. With petrol at around KSh 180 per litre and a car averaging 12 km/l in city traffic, your cost is roughly KSh 15 per kilometer.
• Maintenance: High. Regular oil changes, spark plugs, filters, and engine wear and tear are constant, costly realities.

2. The Full Hybrid Car (e.g., Toyota Aqua, Honda Fit Hybrid)
This is my world. A hybrid combines a petrol engine with an electric motor and a small battery that charges itself through braking. It's the perfect bridge to the electric future.

• Initial Cost: Medium. Slightly more expensive than their petrol-only counterparts.
• Cost Per KM: This is where you win. A hybrid can achieve 20-25 km/l in city traffic because the electric motor takes over at low speeds. This brings your fuel cost down to around KSh 7-9 per kilometer. You cut your biggest expense nearly in half.
• Maintenance: Medium. You still have an engine to service, but it works less, meaning less wear and tear. The main concern is the hybrid battery, but these are designed to last for many years.

3. The Full Electric Vehicle (EV) (e.g., BYD E6, T3)
This is the game-changer. No petrol engine at all. Just a large battery and an electric motor. The economics are completely different.

• Initial Cost: High. This is currently the biggest barrier for most drivers.
• Cost Per KM: This is where you dominate. The cost to charge an EV is dramatically lower than fueling a petrol car. With off-peak electricity from Kenya Power costing around KSh 8/kWh, a full charge can be incredibly cheap. The average cost to run an EV is around KSh 3-4 per kilometer.
• Maintenance: Very Low. This is the hidden superpower of EVs. No oil changes. No spark plugs. No exhaust system. No fan belts. The electric motor has very few moving parts. Your maintenance costs drop by as much as 70-80%.

At a Glance: The Cost Comparison

The Big Question: What About Charging?

This is the number one concern for every driver considering an EV: "Where will I charge it?" and "How long will it take?" This is known as "range anxiety."

Let's be honest: the charging infrastructure in Kenya is still growing. It's not perfect. But it's growing faster than you think.

• Public Charging Stations: Companies like EVChaja are building a network of charging stations in malls, petrol stations, and apartment buildings across Nairobi. Kenya Power is also rolling out public chargers. You can use apps like PlugShare to find them.
• Home Charging: This is the most convenient and cheapest option. You can install a charger at home and wake up every morning with a "full tank." The cost of charging overnight using off-peak electricity is incredibly low.
• Fast Charging vs. Slow Charging: A DC fast charger (like those at public stations) can charge a car like the BYD E6 to 80% in about an hour. A slower AC home charger will take several hours, which is perfect for overnight charging.

The reality is, for a ride-hailing driver who typically drives 200-300 km a day, a modern EV with a range of 400-500 km (like the BYD E6) can easily handle a full day's work on a single overnight charge. Range anxiety is becoming less of an issue with every new EV model.

How to Track Your EV Business in RiderPal

If you make the switch to an EV, how do you track your new business model? It's simple.

Your "fuel" cost is now your electricity cost.

When you charge your car at home, you can calculate the cost based on the units of electricity used and log it in the RiderPal app as a "Fuel" expense. When you pay to use a public charger, you log that M-Pesa payment.

The real magic happens in the Reports tab. As the months go by, you will see your "Fuel" category shrink to a fraction of what it used to be. Even more powerfully, your "Vehicle Maintenance" category will be almost empty. The data will prove the savings are real. You can use RiderPal to directly compare your new EV running costs to your old petrol or hybrid car data and see your profitability skyrocket.

The future of our business is not about working longer hours.

It's about cutting our biggest cost.

Electric vehicles are no longer a fantasy. They are a strategic tool. The initial cost is high, yes. The charging infrastructure is still developing, yes. But the potential savings on fuel and maintenance are so massive that they can fundamentally change the economics of being a ride-hailing driver.

The transition won't happen overnight. But the drivers who are paying attention, the ones who are doing the math and watching the market, are the ones who will be ready to seize the opportunity when the time is right.

Start by understanding your own numbers. Know your exact cost per kilometer right now. When you have that data, you will be able to see the future clearly.

Ready to understand your true running costs? Download RiderPal and start tracking your fuel and maintenance like a pro. The data you gather today will inform the most important business decision you make tomorrow.