A fast-growing e-commerce logistics company in Nigeria, GIG Logistics has started its steady migration from the use of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles for its operations to electric vans, following its unveiling, recently, of the first set of EVs it acquired from Jet Motor Company, an indigenous assembler of Jet Mover vehicles in Nigeria.

The Director of Operations, GIG Logistics, Ocholi Etu and Head of Strategy, Jet Motor Company, Wemimo Joseph signed a memorandum of understanding on partnership in the supply and use of the EVs. Also at the signing ceremony were Rupani Sanjay, Director, Sales & Marketing, Jet Motor Company, and Odafe Ojomah, Deputy Director, Expansion and Growth GIG Logistics.

According to Etu, the first set of electric vans would be used within Lagos alone and they are expected to run for 240 kilometres on full charge. There is a charging point in their Gbagada office that can service two vehicles at a time and it takes two hours for a full charge.

He said it was another significant step forward for GIG Logistics in their commitment “to a sustainable future for our environment, people and businesses we support.

“The launch of these Electric Vans is the first practical step in our journey towards carbon neutrality which is a core strategy for us.

“We are the first Nigerian and, perhaps, African company in the logistics space to be able to deploy Electric Vans for operations. We are able to achieve this feat due to our partnership with JET Motor Company, also a futuristic player in the automotive space, with focus on sustainability.

“We are proud of our carbon neutrality focus and this is our first physical step on the path to becoming a zero carbon logistic company.”

The entire global logistics industry, he said is presently focused on issues around environmental sustainability, as reports have shown logistics as an industry contributes the largest share of carbon emissions. “We are a technology-driven company that has embraced electric vehicles (EV) because they are eco-friendly, have zero emissions, zero noise pollution, and lower maintenance costs, among others.

“Studies have revealed that EVs have 70% lower maintenance costs compared to the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

“This means that in the immediate and long run, our services will become more affordable, and will in turn enable us to render cost-friendly excellent service to our teeming customers, while taking ecommerce in Nigeria and beyond to greater heights.

“Finally, we want to encourage the government to take a cue from what we have done by investing in sustainable energy infrastructure for the transportation sector, helping to create a whole new ecosystem that will expand opportunities for Nigeria’s businesses.

The transition from ICE to EV must be urgently prioritised,” Etu said.

Head of Strategy, Jet Motor Company, Joseph said they are proud of their feat in the automobile industry. “We are extremely proud to be a disruptor in Africa’s transportation sector.

“Today, we showcase a significant example of our strategic investment in innovation that meets today’s needs and rises to the demands of the future.

“JET is so proud to be delivering these EVs to GIG Logistics. We consider them a worthy partner in logistics mobility innovation. We strongly believe that with their track record in the industry, they will best represent this much needed shift towards the future.

“As an indigenous vehicle assembly-company that is future-oriented, sustainability is at the core of our operational strategy. At JET, we believe the future of automobile is electric, and not internal combustion engine. To this end, we have committed resources to a future-forward strategy that includes building an ecosystem that will help with the production and deployment of electric vehicles (EVs).

“Over the years, we have built a reputation of excellence in vehicle assembly. We assemble commercial buses under the brand of Jet Mover. We also assemble cargo van, ambulance, security bus, among others.

“Our target markets are fleet operators, logistics companies, government institutions, religious organisations, schools, corporate firms and individuals.

“Although we started by assembling internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, our objective from the beginning was to transition to electric vehicles and other sustainable alternatives.”

He said the journey towards transforming the transportation sector has not been without major challenges. “We have had to battle with inconsistent government policies, poor infrastructure like epileptic power, lack of direction from government on EVs, and limited funding support.”

According to him, these challenges cannot be the norm if Nigeria is to replicate what its counterparts are doing to support the mainstreaming of electric vehicles. “With the steadily growing share of EVs in the overall vehicle market as demonstrated by EV sales which rose to as much as 2.2 million in 2019, Nigeria cannot afford to ignore the huge potential of EVs.

“Like the top EV-promoting countries of Germany, France, UK, South Korea, US, Sweden, The Netherlands, Norway and China, we must have a deliberate policy backed by far-reaching concrete actions on mainstreaming the production, deployment and use of EVs in Nigeria.

“Today, on behalf of the co-founder, JET, Mr. Chidi Ajaere, his Canadian and Asian counterparts, we welcome you to this special event in which we are delivering the first batch of the Jet Mover Electric Vehicles to Africa’s fastest growing e-commerce logistics company, GIG Logistics.”