NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 29 — When Kenya hosted the Africa Climate Summit in August 2023, one of the memorable scenes was perhaps the measures the government employed to highlight its moves to cut the over-reliance on non-renewable energy sources.
Kenyans will remember that for one week President William Ruto ditched his usual heavy, fuel-guzzling-filled motorcade in favor of a tiny three-door, four-seater electric hatchback billed as Kenya’s first Electric Vehicle by a local company. Ruto’s move did not spare even the Presidential Escort outriders forcing his escorts to abandon their majestic BMW Speed Motorbikes for the less intimidating electric motorbikes.
The government also showcased how some public service companies such as Super Metro, Embasava Sacco, MetroTrans, and City Hoppa had also begun embracing electric buses to join the fleets of their franchise.
Among those who turned up to show off, their energy-saving inventions was Paul Kamanu, a man whom Capital FM’s Green Desk had visited only a month earlier.
Converted Volkswagen Combi EV
During the visit to his Tea City Estate residence in Juja Town, Kamanu took us to a friend’s workshop where he showed us his latest invention; an attempt to convert a 1979 Volkswagen Kombi from petrol powered vehicle to one that runs using an ingeniously modified solar panel and laptop batteries.
“A battery is a battery irrespective of whether you are using it on a nduthii (pillion motorcycle), an electric bus, or a touch, but it is the way you repurpose and organize the cells to make a battery and the use you want to put it into,” he explains.
If you have watched the television show ‘Pimp My Ride’ which was aired and hosted by US rap artist Xzibit on MTV in 2004, then you would have no trouble getting the concept of the piece; the only twist is that the vehicle concerned will not be transformed into fine-tune powerhouses loaded with unique gadgets. Kamano’s transformation is replacing the fuel source with electric batteries.
At the time, Kamanu and his friend had been working on the project for close to six months and admitted that at times they had to take everything apart and begin again after they discovered that there was a hitch in the functionality of their invention.
200km rage
To make the dream possible, the two friends, used components they removed from two accident-salvaged Nissan Leaf EVs. Recovered items included two batteries which Kamanu says would have a capacity of 48 Kilowatt per hour if they were new.
“We have installed all the 96 cells in the car and at the back we have mounted the Drive from the Nissan Leaf and we have mounted and coupled it with a gearbox of VW Combi and now the Electric Drive is the one, that is now turning the gearbox to make the vehicle move,” he says.
Kamanu reckons that his self-reconditioned EV is capable of driving to Nakuru, which is roughly 189.2 Kilometres from Juja.
“Since the cars were not very old, we tested and found that they have around 18 Kilowatts per battery, so I could be having around 36 Kilowatts, so with that, I am expecting around 250 kilometers because this car is heavier than the Nissan Leaf. So, this range is good for my local run, and even with that one way it can take me all the near Nakuru,” he notes.
Kamanu, who previously worked as a Factory Manager for 23 years, says his passion for renewable energy innovations has allowed him to develop groundbreaking methods to transform discarded solar panel batteries into potent power sources for vehicles and homes.
“My training is not for engineering but I have always been fascinated by electrical energy, I did my first installation for solar in our rural home in 1995, and that solar panel I still have it up today. I kept it as a souvenir after we got electricity in 2010,” he notes.
Segregating e-waste
He sees this innovative solution as not only reducing the carbon footprint of transportation but also minimizing the environmental impact of discarded batteries.
Most of the batteries he uses are from old laptop batteries which he asks people to look for in the dumpsite after which he will open them, look for the good batteries, sequence them, categorize them, and finally the assembly process.
“I call what I am doing circular economy, that is where you have an electric appliance that may have a battery, and when it fails instead of just throwing it away, I would open it and extract its battery and test it and based on its residual capacity, I will be able to categorize it and make a certain battery for a certain us depending on energy demand,” Kamanu explains.
I only got to know about this because our company’s then Transport Manager Anthony Kago (who also has a passion for restoring vintage, or accident-written-off cars to roadworthy vehicles) shared this lead with our video journalist Moses Muoki (also a motor enthusiast) and asked if it was something, we would be interested in pursuing.
When Kago, Muoki, and I visited Kamanu, he expressed some disappointment that the vehicle was not in a mobile state at the time due to a minor setback.
Highly-priced components
Among the challenges he pointed out was the high cost of some of the parts that they required to import which meant that sometimes they had to halt work as they waited.
“For me, I was lucky that I bought each item differently but if you are to buy separately like one battery can cost about Sh14,000 and you require about 110 pieces to make one system for a car like this, and that excludes the drive, and all the other accessories,” Kamanu explained.
The self-confessed sustainable energy enthusiast is now advocating for public consumer education on the proper disposal of items such as laptop batteries which he observes are usually put together with normal refuse making it difficult for them to be recycled.
Funding innovation
He is also appealing to the government to consider rebates for small-scale developers like him so that they can source and avail the technology to the market at a better and more competitive pricing.
“If there were rebates that were being given more people would be able to get into that space of renewable green energy at the domestic and small-scale level, but the cost currently is a bit high.”
“You can even see with the issue of environmental conservation, just do the calculation of how much we are saving because of buying the products that you are throwing them at after a shorter period instead of one that would go for a longer period,” Kamanu explained.
He admitted that he has found that the process has been time-consuming but says that the support of his family has been key. He at times spends days on end making calculations to ensure everything fits in just fine in his new ride.
Kamanu finds giving a second life as energy storage units for vehicles not only aligns with the growing global emphasis on sustainability but also presents a practical solution for Kenyan communities striving to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
As renewable energy gains traction globally, Kamanu’s innovation is particularly impactful. His method aligns with broader efforts to transition away from fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions.
By demonstrating that simple adaptations can yield powerful results, he is inspiring a movement toward environmentally responsible practices in energy consumption.
Kamanu’s dedication is proving that the answers to our energy challenges may lie within the resources we already possess. As his work continues, his journey stands as a beacon of hope for a future powered by innovation and sustainability.
