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A 2019 Engineering graduate, Chukwuemeka Eze, is making waves in Enugu, where he is converting vehicles that normally run on petrol to be powered by electricity.

An electric vehicle enthusiast, Eze was one of the guests that witnessed the commissioning of an EV charging station at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN, his alma mater, recently.

The Electric Vehicles Charging Station built by the National Automotive Design and Development, NADDC, in the Engineering Faculty of the University of Nigeria, and supported with a donation of a Hyundai Kona EV, was inaugurated on August 17, 2023.

At the event, the young engineer, alongside his friend, Aaron Esumeh, were applauded when they introduced themselves as alumni of the prestigious University of Nigeria who have been rendering some unique conversion services to people in the Coal City.

 Eze later disclosed in an interview that his fledgling firm, Revive Earth, located in the GRA area of Enugu, is known for a conversion process that creates vehicles that run on rugged commercial bases.

Established in 2021 the start-up has already passed through a rigorous product validation stage and adopted a very reliable process in its conversion services at the Constitution Road base..

Revive Earth targets owners of mainly commercial vehicles, particularly keke and mini buses, with its petrol-to-electricity conversion services.

He explained why: “We are essentially targeting commercial drivers as it is more bankable following the high overhead cost and potential return on investment of the electric vehicle technology.

“We are focusing more on tricycles or keke and mini buses since they are less complex, more uniformly distributed and more rampant.”

A vehicle converted to be powered by electricity, Eze explained, allows the driver to get the same value while at the same time saving up to 64 percent on fuelling cost and 95 percent on maintenance costs, and contributing positively to our net zero journey.

“After conversion, the vehicles need close to no regular maintenance like no regular oil changes. After the conversion, the vehicle runs on only battery electricity and needs to be plugged in to charge.

It was learnt that a single charge takes about one hour thirty minutes or less eve as he disclosed that it can get as low as 30 minutes with a faster, albeit more expensive charger.

After a charge, a vehicle can cover between 60 to 120 kilometre – depending on the battery size and driver habit –  before needing another charge.

The process changes “as little as possible in the vehicle,” which is why after the conversion, the vehicle essentially remains the same in terms of driving controls, dials, and interfaces.

According to the UNN Engineering graduate, it costs N1,500,000 to convert an average tricycle to electric, including the battery for up to 60 kilometres range (distance covered per charge), while it costs between N2,100,000 and N2,800,000 to purchase a fully converted tricycle.

 He was quick to point out that foreign made electric vehicles that have the same specs as the ones his company creates cost the equivalence of between N3,500,000 and N4,500,000 to buy, excluding shipment cost.

He also commented on the challenges he faces in the business, saying “We are only able to make 40 percent of our components here because of high cost of equipment and high import duties.

 “Also, because of high cost of materials, and low start-up capital, we are only able to purchase materials at retail costs when we can save up to 20 percent in the purchase cost if we are able to buy in bulk.

 “Government can encourage us by creating initiatives that help us get capital on loan at low interest and creating import regulations that reduce import duties on equipment and materials that support industrialisation.

“They can also encourage us by giving us tax waivers at start-up stage or subsidising it for us.

“Other countries create and facilitate carbon credits that encourage eco-friendly innovations to deploy solutions that aim to diversify the energy sector and accelerate our net zero journey. Nigeria can do the same.

“Petrol is fleeting, subsidy or no subsidy, the only sustainable solution is the one that seeks to diversify the energy sector and reduce reliance on fossils.

 “We are blessed with the kind of climate that the West is envious of.

 We can tap the our abundant sunlight, wind, geothermal, biogas, tidal energies. Only the sun can power our entire civilization.”