Solar-powered vehicles for a sustainable mobility
Enterprise
ECOZEM
Presentation of the enterprise
ECOZEM is a Beninese company specialising in solar-powered electric mobility for urban and tourist travel.
Amount of co-financing
EUR 130,000
- Benin
- 2025
- Ongoing
Challenge
Benin faces a major mobility challenge against a backdrop of rapid urbanisation and a lack of a structured public transport system. Petrol-powered motorbikes are the main mode of urban transport, generating significant air pollution and contributing substantially to greenhouse gas emissions.
This situation has direct consequences, on the one hand, for public health, with a high prevalence of respiratory diseases linked to air pollution, and, on the other hand, for the purchasing power of urban households, which are heavily exposed to rising fuel costs.
At the same time, the development of sustainable tourism is being held back by a lack of comfortable, affordable and environmentally friendly transport options, even as international visitors become increasingly conscious of the carbon footprint of their travels.
Innovative solution
ECOZEM offers an on-demand mobility service based on a fleet of three-wheeled electric vehicles, charged using solar energy and operated via a dedicated mobile app. This solution provides a clean and accessible alternative to conventional transport, for both urban journeys and tourist tours.
ECOZEM’s integrated model, based on fleet ownership and the employment of trained drivers, enables end-to-end control over service quality. The vehicles offer a higher level of comfort than traditional motorbike taxis, whilst remaining affordable for the middle class.
By utilising solar power, the solution sustainably reduces operating costs, limits greenhouse gas emissions and helps to gradually phase out petrol-powered motorbikes from the roads, thereby improving air quality and the appeal of Benin’s cities.
Targeted impact
- An additional 33 tonnes of CO₂ eliminated through the use of solar-powered electric vehicles
- 6,000 new mobility orders fulfilled via the ECOZEM solution
- A threefold increase in the number of unique customers accessing a sustainable transport service (4,000 new customers)
- An additional EUR 418,000 in savings made by users on their transport costs
Photo credit: ©Selmo
Targeted Sustainable Development Goals
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Households’ transport costs are reduced, thanks to the additional savings of EUR 418,000 made by end users, thereby boosting their purchasing power.
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The use of solar-powered electric vehicles helps to eliminate a further 33 tonnes of CO₂, whilst providing an accessible and low-cost mobility solution for urban users.
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The roll-out of a sustainable urban mobility service, with 6,000 new orders fulfilled and 4,000 new unique customers, helps to reduce pollution and improve accessibility for travel within the city.
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Over the implementation period of the co-funded project, 33 tonnes of CO₂ are avoided thanks to a fleet of solar-powered electric vehicles.
