The world is moving toward a greener and sustainable energy solution with the introduction of electric vehicles, and Ghana has remained open to this change. The prevalence of electric vehicles in Ghana has been on the rise over the past few years, but despite this new trend, resources needed for their sustainability are very limited.
Ghana’s electric vehicle market is emerging, with less than 1% of registered vehicles being electric. However, it is expected to grow due to cost savings, government programs like the Drive Electric Initiative (DEI), and policy incentives. One of the barriers include limited charging infrastructure.
An overview of EV charging stations in Ghana according to the UNDP report
A comprehensive market opportunity study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) revealed that there were only seven EV charging stations in the country.
The iJANU charging station at the North Industrial Area and POBAD International’s A&C Mall and Stanbic Heights stations were among the seven public charging stations that were operational in Ghana as of August 2024. The 60 kW iJANU station is still Ghana’s only publicly accessible DC charging station, despite the fact that its full potential is not being used because of the meter’s low current rating.
Three more 11 kW level 2 charging stations that Porsche Ghana owns are situated at the Kempinski Hotel, Palace Mall, and 37 Liberation Link (next to Golden Tulip), respectively. The most recent addition is owned by Silver Star Tower Limited, which is situated in Accra’s Airport City. Solar power provides the majority of the charging station’s electricity.
This 22-kW charger has a type 2 connector and can charge Chinese-made electric cars that need GB/T connectors with charging intensities ranging from 6 to 32 A. Throughout the three weeks of the field study, only one charging station was operational, according to the report.
The market opportunity study on electric vehicle charging stations in Ghana found that there were more home chargers than public charging stations. This suggests that the chargers would be charging from homes, which would raise the household electric load for the average Ghanaian home.
The 28-page report also revealed that despite the significant market potential for EVs, all seven public charging stations were located in Accra, whilst the remaining regions had none. In effect, an EV traveling out of Accra could not recharge at any public stations in the regions unless from private residences that have them.
Challenges
Among several other challenges, the UNDP report identifies two main challenges facing EV charging systems in Ghana. These are:
Lack of mechanics: Because local mechanics were not trained in this area, some companies rely on Chinese expatriates to fulfill all personnel training needs.
Lack of finance: A further difficulty is the absence of funding. The structure of electricity tariffs and power outages are regarded as major obstacles that the business must overcome. The businesses complain about Ghana’s poor charging station use rates and regret that charging stations are not yet lucrative. Due to cost and convenience, the majority of electric vehicle owners choose to charge their cars at home.
Way forward
In March 2025, Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, announced plans to convert some traditional fuel stations into electric vehicle (EV) charging centers.
The Minister outlined the vision for the future of transportation in Ghana, predicting a major transformation within the next decade.
The plan also involves deploying BYD, a Chinese company, to develop a new technology that can fully charge a car in just five minutes.
This strategy may not entirely be all that Ghana needs to beat the EV problem, other strategies may have to be put in place.
Infrastructure Mapping: For effective charging networks, chargers must be strategically deployed using data. To design an ideal charging network, Ghana should study its road systems and urban areas, paying particular attention to transport routes, city centers, parking lots, and smaller towns. An unambiguous national infrastructure master plan can help to organize activities.
Public-private partnerships: Ghana’s clean energy ecosystem may be strengthened and local capacity can be increased through the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs). Ghana can foster a domestic EV and renewable energy sector by collaborating with local innovators, much like California has done. This would allow them to expand their operations, integrate technical know-how, generate employment, and add long-term economic benefit to the nation.
Cutting costs: By enacting tax cuts, lowering import duties, and offering grant programs to consumers and charging stations, Ghana can increase EV adoption and charger deployment. Additionally, it can allocate cash for solar-powered chargers to address grid dependability concerns.
Establishing Charging points on major routes: By placing charging stations along important routes, such as the Accra-Kumasi highway and the Accra-Cape Coast, and collaborating with roadside businesses to facilitate long-distance travel, Ghana can encourage the use of electric vehicles (EVs).
Conclusion
The electric vehicle market continues to grow, and the importance of charging infrastructure cannot be overstated, especially in Ghana, where we are doing our best to fit in the EV space bit by bit. If Ghana can bring its dreams of establishing more EV charging points to life, it will not only benefit the owners of the vehicles or put Ghana on the global map, but it will also create jobs and improve our environment.
