Volkswagen Making E-Tractors In Africa

Volkswagen Making E-Tractors In Africa The Volkswagen Group Africa recently announced the creation of a multifunctional facility in Gashora, Rwanda, which includes the GenFarm Project and Empowerment Hub. The pilot project infrastructure aims to direct African modern farming with e-tractors. The GenFarm Project is a holistic ecosystem of reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly e-powered mechanized farming services for rural areas in Africa. It also provides mobility services for the transportation of goods and people. “We’re growing our footprint in Africa and regard Rwanda as a key growth market,” says Volkswagen Group Africa Chairperson and Managing Director, Martina Biene. “This project demonstrates our commitment to sustainable practices and highlights our ability to provide mobility solutions to the rural and urban communities currently served by our Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda business.” The Empowerment Hub is under development, and when complete, it’ll be a key component of the GenFarm. Equipped with photovoltaic power and energy storage systems, it’ll supply clean energy, storage and business space to the involved Volkswagen cooperatives of the Mobility Solutions Rwanda and Volkswagen Group Innovation Centre Europe. “We want to offer various services in the empowerment hubs. Farmers can book an e-tractor, including a trained driver, for affordable, sustainable farming. The project’s unique selling point is the battery swap system. In this way, the battery becomes part of the hub’s energy infrastructure and energy storage for the tractor,” says Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Innovation Dr. Nikolai Ardey. Over the last 30 years, Rwanda’s economy has developed significantly, with the country’s agricultural sector remaining pivotal in improving the livelihoods of Rwandans and sustaining the economy. The agricultural sector currently accounts for 25% of the national Gross Domestic Product. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Volkswagen Group South Africa, Uitenhage, 6230, South Africa (ph +27 41 994 4608; www.vw.co.za).

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