VivoPower, Tembo and ETC Mauritius Pave the Way for Electric Toyota Conversions in Kenya • Professional Pickup

VivoPower International and its subsidiary, Tembo e-LV B.V., have secured a distribution agreement with Energy Trading Company Mauritius for the sale, distribution, and marketing of Tembo’s electrification conversion kits for Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 and Hilux pickup used vehicles in Kenya.

ETC Mauritius has committed to selling a minimum of 4,000 Tembo e-LV conversion kits by the end of 2027, catering to various sectors across Kenya. ETC Mauritius will procure the Toyota used vehicles, transform them into rugged electric light vehicles (e-LVs) using Tembo’s kits, sell these units to end users, and offer after-sale services and maintenance aided by Tembo.

The contract signifies VivoPower’s most substantial distribution agreement so far for Tembo e-LV conversion kits. The Tembo e-LVs are slated for a broad array of applications, spanning government services, agriculture, tourism, and mining. Notably, VivoPower is branching into the used vehicle market, a segment considerably larger than that for new vehicle conversions, offering further potential for the application of their e-LV kits.

Tembo’s kits convert diesel-powered Toyota Land Cruiser and Hilux vehicles into rugged electric light vehicles. They are designed for sectors that are particularly challenging to decarbonise, like mining. These e-LV products play a crucial role in VivoPower’s comprehensive net-zero solutions, aiding government and corporate entities in fast-tracking their decarbonisation objectives.

“We are delighted to announce this distribution partnership with ETC, given their longstanding and deep ties with both government and the private sector in Kenya,” commented Kevin Chin, executive chairman and CEO of VivoPower. “This partnership is a landmark milestone for Tembo e-LV on two fronts: it represents our single largest commitment of future orders for Tembo e-LV conversion kits at all levels within a single country, and importantly it heralds our entry into the second-hand vehicle repowering market, which effectively multiplies our total addressable market. We look forward to working closely with the ETC team to deliver our solutions to Kenya, assisting both government and private sector achieve their energy transition goals over the next five years and beyond.”

Sacha E Cook, CEO of ETC Mauritius, added: “We are delighted to become a distributor of Tembo e-LVs in Kenya, which will allow us to play a significant role in achieving our country’s net zero targets by 2030. Having evaluated a number of alternatives, we decided to partner with Tembo, with which we can lead the way to decarbonise key sectors, including mining, public sector, agriculture and tourism across the country. We look forward to becoming part of the Tembo e-LV family and building a solid partnership in the coming years.”

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Phil Huff

Phil Huff, a seasoned automotive journalist since 2011, specialises in new car and van launches for national and regional newspapers, magazines, and online platforms. As the editor of light commercial vehicle publications Professional Van and Professional Pickup, Phil delivers high-quality content for a UK audience of LCV owner-operators and small business users.