The East African automotive landscape is undergoing a monumental shift, and Tanzania is poised to become a regional hub for e-mobility manufacturing. In a historic move, Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd. (AVA), a veteran in East African vehicle assembly, has signed a definitive agreement with Tembo e-LV, a subsidiary of VivoPower International, to locally assemble and distribute Tembo’s 100% Electric Utility Vehicles (EUVs) across Tanzania, Kenya, and other nations in the region.
This is not just another import deal; it is a serious commitment to localized manufacturing, skills transfer, and robust after-sales support for the most demanding segments of the market—fleet owners in mining, agriculture, energy, and defense. The partnership leverages AVA’s decades of experience assembling vehicles for global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), providing the necessary industrial muscle to put African-made EVs on the road.
The Tembo EUV: Built for the Bush, Powered by the Grid
The Tembo Electric Utility Vehicle is specifically designed to electrify rugged, high-demand fleets. These aren’t just city runabouts; they are the workhorses of the African economy.
Key Specifications & Target Markets:
- Market Focus: Mining, safari, agriculture, construction, government, and humanitarian sectors. These industries rely on reliable, powerful 4×4 vehicles that often operate in remote areas.
- Performance: Tembo EUVs boast impressive torque and gradeability (up to 35%), making them suitable for tough off-road terrain. They typically offer a range of around 200 km or more, depending on the model and specific battery pack.
- Cost Savings: For fleet operators, the shift is compelling. Electric powertrains drastically reduce the need for maintenance (fewer moving parts, no oil changes) and cut operating costs, as electricity is significantly cheaper than diesel in the region.
- Vehicle Base: Tembo often utilizes conversion kits on robust, proven chassis platforms, such as those derived from the Toyota Land Cruiser and Hilux, ensuring that the final electric product maintains the rugged reliability the region depends on.
The Wit: Who needs a petrol engine when you have instant electric torque to pull you out of a mud pit? The Tembo EUV is the future, built on the foundations of a trusted past.
The Tanzania Advantage: Local Assembly and Skills Transfer
While AVA’s primary assembly facilities are based in Mombasa, the definitive agreement covers Tanzania and the entire East African region, cementing a local supply, assembly, and maintenance capability that benefits the entire market.
1. Job Creation and Expertise
AVA and Tembo are committed to upskilling local engineers and technicians in electric vehicle assembly, servicing, and energy integration. This knowledge transfer is arguably the most valuable part of the deal, creating a specialized EV workforce right here in East Africa.
2. Supply Chain Development
By assembling locally, the partners can establish a local supply chain, integrating regional suppliers where possible and reducing the logistical complexities and costs associated with fully built imports. This directly contributes to Tanzania’s industrialisation goals.
3. Robust Support Network
Tembo will establish a local office and a mobile technical support network in the region. For a utility vehicle, reliability is everything. Local maintenance ensures less downtime and better fleet management for critical operations like mining and infrastructure.
Car Care Tip: Regenerative Braking – Your Free Energy Booster
For drivers of these powerful EUVs (and any EV, for that matter), mastering regenerative braking is crucial for maximizing range, especially off-road or when descending steep grades.
- Tip: Drive with One Pedal: Learn to use the accelerator pedal to both speed up and slow down. By easing off the accelerator, the electric motor reverses its role to act as a generator, feeding energy back into the battery. This not only increases your effective range but also saves wear and tear on your physical brake pads—a double win!
- Actionable Advice: When going downhill, avoid riding the brake pedal. Instead, let the regenerative braking system slow the vehicle, allowing you to harvest that kinetic energy.
The Market Impact: EVs for Everyone
This AVA-Tembo partnership focuses on the B2B (business-to-business) utility market, which has a massive influence on the wider automotive ecosystem. As fleets adopt EVs, the infrastructure (charging points, trained mechanics) grows, which ultimately benefits private consumers.
While Tembo focuses on rugged fleet electrification, private buyers still have a wealth of options thanks to government incentives like the recent excise duty waivers (Read more on these tax benefits on automag.tz). Whether you’re a private buyer or a company, the EV shift is happening now.
For private drivers looking to explore sustainable mobility, EV24.africa offers import options for electric cars, expanding choices in the passenger vehicle segment, including popular models that benefit from the new tax environment. Meanwhile, you can still find great deals on reliable, conventional second-hand cars on auto24.tz, which are perfect for smaller budgets or as a reliable second family vehicle, but the long-term trend is clearly electric.
This deal is a decisive step for East Africa, moving from being a consumer of automotive technology to a local producer of specialized, green-energy vehicles. The Tembo EUV is here to prove that electric vehicles can be just as rugged and reliable as their diesel counterparts.
