El Dorado Tech will deploy containerized, off-grid EV charging stations optimized for a “leapfrog” infrastructure rollout across: - Mauritania - Senegal - Western Sahara - Mali - Cabo Verde - and bordering nations
Initial strategy: - Charger mix from day 1: mixed AC + DC - Site priority: fleet depots first, then municipal hubs, then corridor fuel stations - Early adopters: mostly PHEVs, followed by e-motorbikes and 3-wheelers (full EVs later)
This implies a product and rollout that is less about ultra-fast highway charging and more about: - dependable, secure, managed charging at depots and hubs - fleet billing + mobile money / QR payments - moderate DC capability (40-60 kW) for turnaround, exceptions, and eventual full EV volume
Many African markets leapfrogged traditional fixed-line telecommunications by adopting cellular and microwave networks first. Charging can follow a similar pattern: instead of waiting for long lead-time grid upgrades, deploy modular stations that bring their own generation (solar), storage (batteries), and connectivity (cellular).
Key parallels: - Reduce dependency on legacy prerequisites (no trenching, transformers, or interconnect delays for v1 deployments). - Start small, replicate fast (standard container + canopy kit, repeatable installation playbook). - Use existing wireless networks for payments, monitoring, and support.
These are conceptual layout sketches (not to scale). The goal is a secure container with a solar canopy and charging pedestals/poles.
(Overhead view)
+-------------------------+
| | ___ solar panel canopy
| | <--/
+-------------------------+
| | ___ shipping container (battery + power + comms)
| | <--/
+-------------------------+
| | ___ solar panel canopy
| | <--/
+-------------------------+
(Side view)
___ solar panel canopy
+-------------------------+<--/
+-------------------------+
| | ___ shipping container
| | <--/
+-------------------------+
(End view)
___ solar panel canopy
+-----------++-----------++-----------+<--/
| || || |
| +-----------+ |
| | | | ___ support / charging pedestals
| | | | <--/
+-----------++-----------++-----------+
^
\---- shipping container
Cabo Verde differs from the Sahel corridor markets: - It is an island nation: logistics and spares planning are more important. - Distances are shorter: corridor charging is less of a “long-haul” play, more of an urban + municipal + fleet/tourism play. - Card payments may be more relevant depending on customer mix (tourism, rentals), but QR and fleet accounts still matter.
For PHEV-first markets with growth into full EV: - 1 x DC fast charger: 40-60 kW (single port) - 4 x AC points: 7-22 kW (plan for 7-11 kW typical draw; 22 kW when vehicles support it) - Optional later: second DC dispenser when utilization proves it.
Why this mix: - PHEVs often take smaller energy per session (often 5-15 kWh), and many do not benefit from very high power. - A single DC unit supports future full EVs and operational flexibility.
Treat as a first-class revenue stream after PHEVs: - Add a low-cost “light EV” area: multiple protected AC outlets (1-3 kW each), or dedicated low-power EVSE. - Consider a partner-led battery swap model (optional) if local operators prefer swapping.
Two practical v1 configurations:
Config A - Depot / Municipal (recommended starting point) - Solar canopy: 40 kWp - Battery: 200 kWh LFP - Supports: 60 kW DC + multiple AC sessions (topology dependent)
Config B - Corridor fuel station (higher throughput / higher resilience) - Solar canopy: 50-60 kWp - Battery: 250-350 kWh LFP - Optional generator input as emergency fallback (policy decision)
Two-track model: - Fleet contract pricing: lower price per kWh in exchange for minimum volume and/or monthly subscription. - Public pricing: higher per kWh; optional idle fees.
Ballpark per-kWh pricing bands: - Fleet depots: USD 0.30-0.40/kWh - Municipal hubs: USD 0.35-0.50/kWh - Corridor fuel stations: USD 0.45-0.70/kWh
Cabo Verde ops note: - Plan for spares staging per island and clear shipment lanes for batteries/EVSE parts.
With mixed AC+DC from day 1:
Depot / Municipal Config A (typical): - Battery 200 kWh LFP + BMS + integration: 28k-38k - Solar 40 kWp canopy + inverter/MPPT + protections: 22k-32k - EVSE: 1 x DC 40-60 kW + 4 x AC: 18k-30k - Container refurb + internal framing/locks: 4k-7k - Wiring/grounding/comms/control: 4k-7k - Logistics + civil pad/anchors + commissioning: 6k-15k Total deployed: ~85k-125k
Corridor Config B (typical): Total deployed: ~110k-170k
Cabo Verde CAPEX note: - Expect a logistics premium vs Senegal (shipping, spares, island distribution). Budget +10-25% unless a strong local integrator reduces costs.
For mixed AC+DC systems, ROI is most attractive when: - fleet depots provide anchored utilization - site cost is controlled (host terms / municipal partnership) - payment costs are minimized via fleet billing
NRE to reach manufacturable, serviceable v1: - Power + safety engineering: 180k-300k - Mechanical/canopy/container integration: 120k-180k - Backend + fleet billing + payments + app/web: 300k-550k - Pilot builds + travel + field debugging: 120k-250k - Compliance planning/testing (country-dependent): 80k-220k Total NRE (9-12 months): ~0.8M-1.5M
Phase 1 - Pilot (fleet-first): - 2 fleet depot sites in Dakar area - 1 municipal hub site - 1 Nouakchott depot site - (Optional) 1 Cabo Verde municipal or fleet/tourism hub site if logistics partner exists
Phase 2 - Cluster scale: - expand Dakar cluster to 8-12 sites - expand Nouakchott to 3-5 sites - expand Cabo Verde per-island clusters (start with 1 island, then replicate)
Phase 3 - Corridor sites: - add 2-4 high-confidence fuel-station corridor sites
Blended capital stack is realistic: - equity for NRE + early pilots - asset-backed debt for deployments after utilization proven - municipal / climate / DFI co-funding for public hubs