MASERU — With skyrocketing fuel prices and public cry day in day out, the National University of Lesotho Energy Research Centre (NUL-ERC) on Wednesday presented a BYD Dolphin standard electric vehicle to Minister of Public Works and Transport Mr. Matjato Moteane.

The NUL-ERC drives Lesotho's green transition forward through the MaZero Project, spearheading local electric mobility and renewable energy integration.

Under the MaZero initiative, a partnership involving the National University of Lesotho, the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt and Technologies for Economic Development (TED) Lesotho has been actively expanding its footprint of electric vehicles and solar-powered charging infrastructure.

These BYD Dolphin standard electric vehicles cost roughly M550,000 paired with a solar-powered charging station (valued at around M1.9 million) installed on the university campus in Roma.

According to data shared by NUL, the massive economic and environmental benefits of the shift, the vehicles use batteries and do not use engines like other normal electric vehicles. It can make a return-trip of 300km from Roma to Botha-Bothe which costs approximately M89.70 in an electric vehicle compared to about M390.00 for a patrol car and M310 via standard public transport.

This presentation and demonstration of electric vehicles to government officials is set to help draft e-mobility frameworks, scale-up solar-charging grids across the country and reduce the country's reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, Minister Matjato had the opportunity to ride into the vehicle.

Lesotho currently has a small number of operational electric vehicles in the country, totalling three vehicles, one of which is under the custodian of NUL-ERC as part of MaZero Project, another one introduced by the European Union (EU) and another by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).