NextBillion - A WDI Publication

The Nordic Africa EV Summit is a working platform connecting Africa’s electric mobility transition with Nordic leadership in transport, energy systems, and battery energy storage. Through twin-city convenings in the Nordics and Africa, the Summit brings together governments, utilities, fleet operators, financiers, and technology providers to move electric mobility from pilots to scalable deployment. With a focus on trade corridors, public transport, fleet electrification, and storage-backed charging infrastructure, the Summit aligns policy, investment, and real-world implementation to enable reliable, low-carbon transport systems even where grids are constrained.

WHY AFRICA NOW?
Africa’s electric mobility market is moving decisively from pilots to platforms, and faster than many expected. More than 200 e-mobility companies are already active across the continent, leading markets are projected to reach meaningful EV penetration well before 2030, and large-scale deployments are underway, from electric BRT fleets in Dakar and Addis Ababa to rapid two-wheeler electrification backed by nine-figure investment rounds. Global OEMs are accelerating entry, with major manufacturers expanding aggressively across Southern and Eastern Africa. Together, these signals point to a structural shift. The next phase of growth will be defined by actors who can integrate grid readiness, battery energy storage–enabled charging, enabling policy, and heavy-duty fleet deployment into bankable, scalable systems that can operate reliably at corridor and city scale.