The subsidiary of French bank Société Générale in Burkina Faso is diversifying its vehicle fleet with the acquisition of electric vehicles. The initiative is aimed at reducing energy consumption and the environmental impact of staff travel.
In West Africa, the private sector is beginning to recognise its role in the energy transition. Société Générale Burkina Faso (SGBF), a subsidiary of the French bank, has just taken delivery of a fleet of electric vehicles to diversify its vehicle fleet, which until now has consisted mainly of combustion-powered vehicles. The cars, made by Chinese manufacturers BYD and JAC, have a range of 540 km and take six hours to recharge.
They were assembled by the Ouagadougou-based energy company AliothSystem Energy. “Burkina Faso has abundant and controlled solar energy. It is therefore crucial to consider switching to more sustainable transport solutions. Our vision is to promote green urban mobility, whether in the form of four-wheeled or two-wheeled vehicles. This will enable households to gain in purchasing power and businesses to reduce their operating costs. We are in the process of finalising a concession to reassure our customers about maintenance and additional acquisitions”, explains its Managing Director Abdala Dissa.
Societe Generale thus becomes one of the first financial groups in the region to equip its employees with electric vehicles, with the aim of reducing energy consumption and the environmental impact of their journeys. “We have great confidence in renewable energies. As a major consumer of mobility, it was crucial for us to adopt a model of energy consumption and mobility aligned with our vision for the future and our commitment to the ecological transition”, explains Willy Tchiengue, Managing Director of SGBF.
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This initiative comes just a few months after the announcement by the President of the Transition, Ibrahim Traoré, to replace the diesel and petrol vehicles of senior civil servants with solar-powered vehicles. The aim is to reduce the cost of living for the Burkina Faso government and set an example of environmentally-friendly practices for the population at large.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
