Volkswagen Launches E-Tractor Pilot Project in Rwanda
TLDR
- Volkswagen Group Africa launches GenFarm project in Gashora, Rwanda to promote e-tractors and eco-friendly farming.
- GenFarm offers mechanized farming ecosystem supporting sustainable energy and mobility solutions for agriculture.
- Local farmers can book e-tractors with trained operators, making sustainable farming accessible and affordable.
Volkswagen Group Africa has initiated its GenFarm project in Gashora, Rwanda, aiming to promote e-tractors and eco-friendly farming practices in rural Africa.
The multifunctional facility, developed with Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda and the Volkswagen Group Innovation Centre Europe, offers a mechanized farming ecosystem that supports sustainable energy and mobility solutions for agriculture. Through the project, local farmers can book e-tractors with trained operators, making sustainable farming accessible and affordable.
The facility also includes an Empowerment Hub (e-Hub), set to open by 2025, and store e-tractors and e-scooters. The e-Hub’s battery swap system doubles as an energy infrastructure solution, providing both power for tractors and local energy storage. Volkswagen Innovation Centre Europe will supply the e-tractors and equipment, while VW Mobility Solutions Rwanda manages the operations.
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Key Takeaways
Volkswagen’s e-tractor pilot aligns with Rwanda’s renewable energy goals and advances the country’s shift to electric mobility. With 79.9% renewable energy consumption in 2022, Rwanda has incentivized green tech through tax exemptions on electric and hybrid vehicle imports, extended until 2024/25. Supported by the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) and GIZ, the GenFarm project merges modern farming with electric mobility to empower local cooperatives. Rwanda’s expanding e-mobility sector reflects a broader trend, with recent grants supporting IZI Electric’s fleet expansion and BasiGo’s electric bus infrastructure upgrade, emphasizing Rwanda’s commitment to a greener, sustainable future.






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