Dr. Godwin K. Ayetor, Chair of the Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Mobility Research Group at the Brew-Hammond Energy Centre, has revealed that the main reason many Ghanaians hesitate to purchase electric vehicles (EVs) is range anxiety.

Speaking in an interview with the Group Chairs at the Centre, he revealed that this fear stems from limited charging stations in Ghana.

“When a Ghanaian buys a car, they want to be able to drive it everywhere without fear of being stranded on the road. If someone is traveling from Accra to Kumasi and is unsure whether they will find a charging station along the way, they are likely to reconsider buying an EV. At the moment, there are no charging systems on that route,” he said

Speaking on the current state of e-mobility in Ghana, Dr. Ayetor noted that EV adoption remains a niche area, limited to a small group of people, mainly those who can afford more than one car, ride-hailing companies, and companies with sustainability goals. He acknowledged that the While the absence of fuel costs is a powerful ownership incentive, the significant challenges of vehicle management and a lack of charging infrastructure remain. Since all of Ghana's public charging stations are located in Accra, the use of electric vehicles for ride-hailing is predominantly concentrated there to the detriment of other parts of the country.

Another pressing issue, he said, is the limited skill set in Ghana’s EV sector which is exacerbated by the lack of spare parts and high cost of import.

 “We have a long way to go in building the technical capacity to support this industry,” he said.

On local manufacturing, He admitted that Ghana is not there yet but highlighted the country’s unique opportunity.

“We have the minerals, and we have access to the African market. These give us leverage, but based on our experience with conventional vehicles, the journey ahead is still long.”

Despite these challenges, Dr. Ayetor underscored the enormous environmental benefits of transitioning to e-mobility. He revealed that about 40% of Ghana’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the transport sector, and phasing out internal combustion engine vehicles could cut that figure to as low as 5–10%. Such a shift, he added, would reduce emissions, improve public health, and extend life expectancy.