Cameroon: Douala man Darryl Nganou creates nation’s first electric vehicle

Darryl Nganou, a 29-year-old citizen of Cameroon living in Douala, successfully created the country’s first electric vehicle. He recently tested the electric car. As per the media sources, Darryl Nganou gets the credit for introducing innovation to the country

Darryl Nganou, a 29-year-old citizen of Cameroon living in Douala, successfully created the country’s first electric vehicle. He recently tested the electric car. As per the media sources, Darryl Nganou gets the credit for introducing innovation to the country. He told media sources it took him and his team three years and two months to develop the project and bring it to fruition.

While most vehicles in Cameroon run on fuel, electricity powers the innovative three-wheeled vehicle completely, allowing the car to function properly without using conventional fuels. The concept of an electric car is familiar to the rest of the world. However, creating an electrically powered vehicle is no less than an innovation for the African nation.

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Meanwhile, the creator of the three-wheeled electric vehicle asserted that once the user has charged the battery, the car can cover a distance of 100 kilometres before needing a recharge.

Nganou also added that a conventional car is ten times more expensive to run when compared to his electric vehicle. The vehicle runs on a 15-kilowatt engine, and a battery of 10 kilowatts powers it.

He clarified the mathematics within his claim “If one kilowatt is 60 francs in Cameroon, 10 kilowatts will cost 600 francs. So 600 francs will cover 100 kilometres compared to a vehicle consuming fuel, which needs 10 litres to cover 100 kilometres, and the cost of a litre costs 700 francs. A conventional car will need 7,000 francs to cover the same distance,” Darryl Nganou said.

“One can use the same logic in building a vehicle for transporting goods and people. The car will be entirely electric, with additional panels on the cabin. The users can take the car for over 100 kilometres at a single charge.”

The innovation comes when the Cameroon Government has urged youths to be more creative and go for made-in-Cameroon indigenous products. The young man said what is limiting him from expanding his industry is finance. He noted that if the government came out to support his initiative, he would manufacture more of such vehicles for use in the country.

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