Clean air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions with electric two and three wheelers
Two and three wheelers are the fastest growing transport mode in many low and middle-income countries. While Asia has the lion’s share of the global motorcycle fleet, growth rates of motorcycles in many African countries are some of the highest in the world. Today, about 270 million motorcycles are on the road with annual motorcycle sales accounting for about 52 million. By 2050 the global fleet of motorcycles is projected to account for more than 400 million vehicles, representing a 50% increase compared to today.
However, many of these internal combustion engine, two and three wheelers are old and inefficient, thus emitting substantial amounts of particulate matter (PM) and black carbon (BC), a potent short lived pollutant. Two-stroke scooters, for example, produce more particle emissions than a passenger car.
Experts agree that two and three wheelers are the first priority in moving to electric mobility. Scenario calculations using the UN Environment eMob calculator show that assuming a steep and global shift to 90% battery electric motorcycles sales by 2030 could result in CO2 emissions reductions of about 11 billion tons between now and 2050. At the same time, overall monetary savings stemming from lower fuel and maintenance costs and taking into account a higher purchase price of electric motorcycles could amount to about USD 350 billion by 2050.
Given the rapid growth of two and three wheeler fleets in developing and transitional countries, UN Environment is supporting countries to develop national programmes for the introduction of electric two and three wheelers in Africa and Asia. This work is funded by:
- The International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
- The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
- The Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection (Morocco)
This is the first global effort to introduce electric two and three wheelers in non-OECD countries, and will start the transition from internal combustion engine to electric and non-motorized two and three wheelers.
The project will see to a transformative integration of electric two and three wheelers into existing urban transport modes via a comprehensive policy framework. It will replicate the lessons learned in other countries throughout the sub-regions, as a first step towards a general shift to electric mobility.
This intervention directly impacts the population of the countries by reducing air pollution, improving national energy security, and creating green jobs.
Activities will be divided into three key components:
- Planning and project baseline setting – Including the characterization of fleets, existing policies as well as other issues such as the state of the art of the electric grid
- Policy design and piloting – Including stakeholder mobilization, awareness raising, technical assessments, pilot projects, policy development etc.
- Knowledge management and policy replication – Through communications, global studies, training tools development, policy best practices etc.
Currently, UN Environment is supporting electric two and three wheeler projects in eight countries in Africa and Asia: Ethiopia, Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Philippines, Thailand & Viet Nam.
The activities are foreseen to trigger a transformational integration of electric two and three wheelers, which will then be replicated to other countries in the sub-regions, as a first step towards a general move from fossil fuels-based mobility to electric mobility.
The eMob Calculator to estimate costs and benefits of a large scale deployment of electric motorcycles
UN Environment’s eMob calculator can be used for regional and national assessments of energy reduction as well as greenhouse gas and air pollutant emission reduction potentials of shifting to electric motorcycles. It can also be used to develop a first order of magnitude cost-benefit analysis including technology costs as well as fuel and maintenance savings stemming from a large scale introduction of electric motorcycles
