Lanre Shittu Motors has announced plans to assemble and sell electric and compressed natural gas-powered vehicles in Nigeria following the increase in the pump price of fuel after the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Deputy Managing Director of the company, Lukman Shittu, disclosed this during a chat with newsmen in Lagos.
He said the new EVs and CNG-powered automobiles would be unveiled before the end of the year just as the company is concluding arrangements to start exportation of the LSM-branded vehicles to be assembled in Nigeria.
He said, “We should roll out the EVs and the CNG vehicles by the end of the year.
“They will be locally assembled. Our Ogun State facility will be able to do the CKD of the CNG vehicles and the EVs. It is a six-line plant.”
He said the company has both the expertise and the expatriates to deliver on this project.
“We have been training people. We just trained 100 people in Ekiti. We have trained over 2,000 people in Nigeria already. We intend to do more. We are going to different states to enlighten them about the electric and CNG vehicles.”
Speaking earlier, the company’s Managing Director, Taiwo Shittu, said the Nation Automotive Design and Development Council had approved the licence to start the assembling of the EV/CNG vehicles.
He said, “The DG of the NADDC, Jelani Aliyu, has been very supportive. He opens his door once we knock. He knows the serious investors. Lanre Shittu Motors is a priority to him and we get the necessary support. He has approved our licence for the CNG and EVs already.”
According to him, the company will offer support for the buyers/users of the products through the building of battery charging stations and auto finance.
Shittu said, “We are investing in charging stations in many locations. We have a place in Lekki right now that we are working on. It will be a kind of lounge and people can come and charge the battery of their electric vehicles. That will be part of our commitment.
“If you buy a large number of vehicles from us, we can build a charging station to support the operation, which we will build into the contract.”
He however said the company would not stop the assembling and selling of Internal Combustion engine vehicles.
