SolutionsPlus Scale-Up Concept Note: Advancing Electric Mobility in Kathmandu, Nepal
Summary
The Kathmandu scale up concept note provides a structured assessment of the potential expansion of electric mobility in the Kathmandu Valley. The document establishes a quantitative baseline for future emissions using the Future Mobility Calculator, modelling the evolution of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter under business as usual conditions for the period 2024 to 2030. This baseline assessment demonstrates that without accelerated adoption of electric vehicles, emissions will continue to increase due to growth in internal combustion fleets. The concept note evaluates eight demonstration vehicle types, including converted buses, remodelled Safa Tempos, newly designed electric three wheelers for passenger and cargo purposes, a converted pick up truck, and an electric shuttle van. Technical feasibility, financial viability and capacity requirements are assessed using key performance indicators related to job creation, technical skills and operational impacts. The document identifies which vehicle types fall within the investment responsibilities of public institutions and which can be financed through private sector mechanisms, thereby positioning electrification as a mixed institutional process. The study applies three metaheuristic optimisation methods, simulated annealing, evolutionary algorithms and the grey wolf optimiser, to determine the most effective configuration of public sector electric fleets under a defined budget constraint of two million euro. All methods converge on similar solutions, with the grey wolf optimiser exhibiting the highest consistency. The optimal configuration including shuttle vans consists of twenty five converted buses, twenty waste collection vehicles and thirty shuttle vans. When shuttle vans are excluded, the optimal configuration consists of forty buses and ten waste collectors. The document concludes that these fleet compositions best align with stakeholder priorities and available resources.
Key takeaways
Vehicle Conversion: The project includes converting a diesel mini-bus into an electric bus and upgrading the Safa Tempo fleet for both passenger and cargo services by replacing old lead-acid batteries with 23 kWh lithium-ion batteries.
New Vehicle Designs: The initiative introduces new electric three-wheelers (e3Ws) for passenger and cargo transport, designed to offer last-mile connectivity and urban logistics solutions.
Emissions Reduction: The project aims to significantly reduce CO2, NOx, and PM2.5 emissions by replacing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with electric alternatives in the Kathmandu Valley.
Private Sector Engagement: The initiative promotes private investment in electric three-wheelers and converted pickup trucks by showcasing their financial viability through prototype testing and targeted awareness campaigns.
Public-Private Collaboration: Public sector involvement focuses on converting waste collection vehicles and shuttle vans, while private entities invest in passenger and cargo three-wheelers, with support for securing financing and scaling operations.
Downloads
Publisher
SOLUTIONSplus
Contacts
Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI) gGmbH secretariat@uemi.net