Rwanda to get electric tractors 

Volkswagen has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Rwanda to establish a modern farm with electric tractors.

The GenFarm Project is a holistic ecosystem comprising an e-powered mechanised farming service for rural areas in Africa. The service is reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, with excess energy used to charge the electric tractors in order to provide power for post-harvest handling and storage.

“The signing of the MoU with the government of Rwanda marks yet another milestone for Volkswagen’s sustainable mobility lighthouse projects in Rwanda. Our long-term plan is to build up demand for electric batteries in Africa by introducing locally relevant business solutions. The future of mobility in Africa will also be determined by the storage and distribution of green energy. With the GenFarm, we hope to address the mobility needs of customers with high transformational impact on the African economy,” says Martina Biene, chairperson and managing director of Volkswagen South Africa.

The MoU was signed by Biene along with Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Ildephonse Musafiri, and Serge Kamuhinda, CEO of Volkswagen Mobility Solutions in Rwanda. The signing took place in the presence of Imelda Labbé, member of the brand board of management of Volkswagen for marketing, sales, and after-sales.

As part of the MoU, the Rwandan government has agreed to provide land in Gashora (in the Bugesera District) for the project, as well as to assist with the permitting and licensing requirements of the project.

The pilot project will be steered by Volkswagen Group Innovation in partnership with Rwanda’s Volkswagen Mobility Solutions.