Safa Tempo (e-3 Wheelers) drivers training in Kathmandu, 10th August 2022
Safa Tempo (e-3 Wheelers) drivers training in Kathmandu, 10th August 2022
A month-long (28 days) training for Safa Tempo (e-3 wheelers) drivers took place starting from 10th August 2022 in Kathmandu. Sajha Yatyat, a SOLUTIONSplus city partner, co-organised this event with Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO) and Electric public tempo service organisation. The training aims to capacitate drivers (special focus on female drivers) on vehicle parts and the operation in different road conditions, tackle technical repair and maintenance of the vehicle on their own, and make them able to get their driver’s license at the end. Out of 10 drivers (7 female and 3 male), 7 were able to receive their driver’s licenses and are now going to run Safa Tempos.
E-Bus Technical training in Kathmandu, 25th Nov – 27th Dec 2022
E-Bus Technical training in Kathmandu, 25th Nov – 27th Dec 2022
Battery-operated Electric Buses (BEB) are a new technology in the context of Nepal. Through the public procurement process, 40 units of BEBs from CHTC, China with the initiative from Sajha Yatayat (SOLUTIONSplus Kathmandu city partner) have been imported to Kathmandu. With the introduction of BEBs, there are a requirement for technical workforces for the operation and maintenance of these E-buses. In light of those requirements, Sajha Yatayat organised seven days long training on the repair and maintenance of E-buses for technicians, that took place between 25-Nov-27 Dec 2022. The other co-organisers include CHTC Kinwin (Nanjing) Automobile Co. Ltd. and NEV Nepal Pvt. Ltd (Thee-Go). A total of 23 participants received the training on these topics:
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Basic introduction to battery electric vehicles
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Special tools and maintenance methods Safety operating practices and message reading
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Maintenance and common fault handling process
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Understanding the components in the bottom side of BEB and Maintenance Activities from under the bus
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Electric Bus Hands-on Servicing and Maintenance
25th November: E-3 wheelers demonstration launch in Kathmandu
The SOLUTIONSplus project launched the electric 3-wheelers in Kathmandu on 25th November 2022 as the first phase of its demo launch program. The event was organized at the premises of Sajha Yatayat, SOLUTIONSplus city partner in Kathmandu.
Specifically, a remodelled Safa tempo for passenger use and a new e-cargo tempo were launched, manufactured by local companies Clean Energy International Pvt. Ltd. and Shree Eco-visionary Pvt. Ltd., respectively. A 25-year-old Safa tempo that seats 11 people and runs on lead-acid batteries was remodeled, including the replacement of its old batteries with a Li-ion one, the installation of a new drive system, among other components, and aesthetic upgrading with enhanced safety and comfort features. The prototype demonstrated how to revive in a cost-effective manner the old Safa tempos that run in dire conditions. The pilot EVs (i.e., the remodelled versions) are expected to benefit both the end-users through improved public transport services and the operators, mostly female individuals, through improved profits. The e-cargo 3-wheeler is aimed at replacing conventional fossil fuel-run cargo vehicles, which presently exhibit a growing demand in Kathmandu.
The pilot launch was attended by the representatives of the Nepal Electric Vehicle Industry (NEVI), the Delegation of the European Union to Nepal, team members of the SOLUTIONSplus project (DTU, WI, Sajha Yatayat, CAA and UEMI), public transport operators, academia (Kathmandu University), cargo service operators and investment agencies (Bank, One to Watch, ALOI etc.). The participants responded positively during the test drive and confirmed the need for such solutions in Nepal. The stakeholders present also highlighted the scalability potential of the remodeled electric 3-wheelers to decarbonize transportation and address the health, social, and economic issues brought by air pollution in Nepal. The remodeled Safa Tempo is currently in operation and the e-cargo will run soon after receiving the proper license plate.
Additionally, a remodelled Safa tempo for cargo use was also ready in December 2022, manufactured by local companies Clean Energy International Pvt. Ltd. It is currently in a test run before full operation.
Media Coverage
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/oliverlahatwork/status/1596043604811993088?s=20&t=r5cG4cC-LWrgtAVnuEKu9w
https://twitter.com/ShrituShrestha/status/1596452690523226113?s=20&t=r5cG4cC-LWrgtAVnuEKu9w
Online news (in Nepalese):
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Old tempos are converted to electric vehicles in Nepal in this manner (published on 26 November 2022)
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When will the electric vehicles roll? (published on 9 December 2022)
24th Nov 2022: Workshop on Business Model and Financing for Electrification of Public Transportation in Nepal
On 24 November 2022, SOLUTIONSplus organised a workshop in Kathmandu on “Business Model and Financing for Electrification of Public Transportation in Nepal”. Its aim was to serve as a platform for policymakers, development partners, academicians, as well as electric vehicle (EV) operators, suppliers and enterprises to exchange knowledge and experiences on business models and financing schemes applicable for scaling up e-mobility in Nepal focusing on public transportation. The discussions highlighted the necessity to ensure favorable investment conditions in financing the electrification of public transportation. The gaps and relevant policy changes were also discussed.
The SOLUTIONSplus partners - Sajha Yatayat, together with Wuppertal, Clean Air Asia, Technical University of Denmark, and Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI) - organized and contributed to the workshop. The session welcomed 50 participants coming from various government organizations (e.g., Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Department of Roads, Alternative Energy Promotion Centre), academia, NGOs, and development partners (Nepal Transportation Federation, GIZ, GGGI, etc.), private companies (Clean Energy International, Shree Eco-visionary, Thee-go, Chaudhary Group Motors, etc.) and investment agencies (Nabil Bank, One to Watch, ALOI, etc.).
The workshop participants highlighted the challenges and barriers to the e-mobility industry in Nepal, such as the following: the lack of a supportive investment plan for EVs; high battery cost with no battery financing mechanism; higher cost for electric public transportation (e-buses) and EV conversion-related issues; inadequate charging infrastructure, and lack of proper guidelines and/or technical standards; financial challenges for business expansion; high bank interest rate; and high risks, and untimely repayment to the banks.
Addressing institutional challenges echoed throughout the session. At present, there is no dedicated transport authority in Nepal, and there remains a challenge regarding the vertical alignment of the three tiers of the government (central, provincial and local government) with no clear responsibility for transport management. In removing these obstacles, several factors for consideration were also discussed: financial access through bank loans; tax incentives, subsidies and subsidized interest rates; policy formation/amendment on EVs; exploring possible funding agencies like World Bank, ADB, GGGI to support the EV sector in Nepal; intersectoral collaboration; formation of entrepreneur groups of EVs to reduce CapEx and maintenance cost; formation of transport authority; Nepal Rastra Bank to revise interest rate. One of the outcomes after the workshop was the establishment of collaboration between Nabil bank and ALOI on digital green financing to EV enterprenuers[1] [2].
Topics covered in the workshop:
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Overview of EV business in Nepal: Opportunities and challenges
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International financing options on e-mobility
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Driving investments toward National Urban Mobility Planning
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Financial analysis of light EVs in Kathmandu
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Panel discussion on policy and investment plans for EV, business models and financing public vehicles – with representatives from government, banks, transport associations, financing institutions and public transport companies
[1] https://arthasanjal.com/48652?fbclid=IwAR1lC245fGcSWCq1Xz4eExXQqrmKfMcRWAPU75qT5YD3BKWoKxvnweL477s
[2] https://twitter.com/aloi_global/status/1611335580553707521?s=20&t=2-J-Omtqy1TGx40HE8Zf7w
Social media posts:
23rd Nov 2022: Workshop on Impact Assessment of Kathmandu EV demonstrations
SOLUTIONSplus gathered key stakeholders on 23rd November 2022 to advance the impact assessment of selected e-mobility demonstration actions in Kathmandu, namely, the conversion of a diesel bus into an e-bus, the remodeling of Safa tempos, the new design of e-3 wheelers with a multi-use concept (passenger, cargo, and waste), and the design of an e-shuttle van.
The SOLUTIONSplus consortium partners working on Kathmandu (Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Wuppertal Institute, Sajha Yatayat, Clean Air Asia (CAA), and Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI)) were joined by 14 participants representing public transport operators, national and local authorities, local manufacturing companies, academia, service providers, and NGOs and civil society organizations, and development partners. The selected e-mobility demonstration actions concern the conversion of a diesel bus into an e-bus, the remodeling of Safa tempos, the new design of e-3 wheelers with a multi-use concept (passenger, cargo, and waste), and the design of an e-shuttle van. Some inputs on the key performance indicators (KPI) required for the impact assessment had already been provided by the stakeholders prior to the workshop, and thus the workshop became an opportunity to present preliminary results and discuss in detail the priorities and values of the local community.
Through a constructive dialogue with the stakeholders, the SOLUTIONSplus team achieved the following objectives: (1) Validation of the KPI weights that local stakeholders had provided; (2) Validation of KPI scores that the SOLUTIONSplus team had estimated, and; (3) Collection of necessary stakeholder feedback for the construction of the value functions. This activity will eventually inform and support the scaling up of the EV demonstrations in Kathmandu, Nepal.
