How-to: Electric vehicles for Africa.

• Riggid chassis with all-wheel drive: Unless it's a motorcycle; the muddy, dusty roads, potholes & hostile terrain in rural Africa will make it difficult if a vehicle is only front-wheel or rear-wheel drive.

• Solar panels: If it's a bus or truck, solar panels may be required to decrease the weight & size of the battery. These solar panels could be interchangeable so that they can be replaced when damaged or removed to be placed in another vehicle if a vehicle is written off. Solar panels may not be necessary in small city cars but may be useful on hatchbacks, minibuses & large vans.

• Sodium-ion batteries are a must: Sodium ion batteries last longer than lithium-ion batteries, have more abundant materials than lithium & are all-round more efficient than most other battery types. Salt is easily found all over Africa to make sodium-ion batteries & need less dangerous & environment-harming mining methods.

• Three-wheeled vehicles: Smaller vehicles can benefit from having two front-wheels & only one rear-wheel. If not to reduce weight, to reduce tyre costs. Microlino-type cars could benefit from this design (two front-wheels & one rear-wheel).

• Simplicity: No seat heaters, massaging seats, automatic windows, camera rear-view or tablets on the car. Simple winding windows & simple late 1990s or early 2000s car technology.

• LED lights: LED lights are relatively bright & use less energy than halogen bulbs, for example. For indicators, front lights, brake lights & inside light of the car.

Sustainable Technology

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Comprehensive classification of Ngoni / Nguni groups.

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Ponderings of the Man from Mpofana...

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