Jospong Group Of Companies and a sustainable off-highway vehicle electrification company, ZeroNox Inc, have signed a joint venture agreement to provide more electric vehicles in Ghana.

The new retrofit electrification deal aims at advancing clean technology solutions in Africa.

Through the agreement, 1,000 refuse trucks from the Jospong Group’s subsidiary, Zoomlion, will be converted from diesel to electric power utilising the ZeroNox electric powertrain platform (ZEPP).

Speaking in an interview with the CNN, Chief Executive of Zeronox and key partner of the Jospong group, Vonn Christenson said electrifying these waste management trucks cost half as much as acquiring a new vehicle.

“The cost of electrifying the vehicles is approximately half the cost of a new vehicle and a lot of that cost is related to the battery”, he said.

He added that Ghana has a cleaner energy necessary to undertake this project.

“Part of the reason why this collaboration with Jospong Group in Africa is a perfect fit for electrification is because they have a cleaner energy grid than we do here in California is because of the hydro-dam power that they have”, he mentioned.

The electrification of Jospong’s 1,000-refuse truck fleet by ZeroNox is projected to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 400,000 metric tonnes over five years, the equivalent of 18 million mature trees.

The deal positions Ghana as the gateway to electric vehicle and related technology distribution throughout Africa.