At the recent Future of Energy Conference, Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, offered a glimpse into the evolving future of transportation: conventional petrol and diesel stations transforming into battery swap hubs for electric vehicles (EVs).
Jinapor highlighted the pace of innovation in EV technology, noting that batteries are becoming smaller and more efficient. This, he explained, could soon allow drivers to exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones within minutes—eliminating the need to wait for charging at stations.
“The batteries for these EV vehicles are getting smaller. What I see is that in the future, these petrol, diesel, or fossil fuel stations will become EV battery stations and people will no longer have to park their cars to charge their vehicles for minutes or hours. We should be able to drive through these same filling stations and just replace your battery and keep driving on. Through innovation, I am very confident that we can make use of these products or some of these filling stations,” Jinapor remarked.
Supporting this vision, Ben Boakye, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), urged private investors in existing filling stations to start preparing for this transition to electric mobility. Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Boakye emphasized the importance of adapting infrastructure and business models to accommodate the growing influx of EVs.
“A lot of EVs are coming into the system. It is up to the private people who have invested in filling stations to now begin to look at how to make that shift and be aggressive at it. Try to reengineer their business model to incorporate renewable and then also electric vehicle charging points so that they are not left stranded,” he advised.
As Ghana and the world move toward a greener future, industry leaders believe that innovation and proactive adaptation will be crucial for fueling the next era of mobility.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
