Focus on electric vehicles, Murray-Bruce urges Innoson

Ben Murray-Bruce, founder of the Silverbird Group, has called on Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the driving force behind Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, to make electric vehicles (EVs) the company's main focus. Murray-Bruce praised Chukwuma for establishing Nigeria's first indigenous automobile company and putting locally made vehicles on the road.

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My good friend Chief Innocent Chukwuma, you did what nobody else dared. You built a car company in Nnewi and put Made-in-Nigeria vehicles on our roads. I still drive Innoson with pride.

"You did what nobody else dared. You built a car company in Nnewi and put Made-in-Nigeria vehicles on our roads. I still drive Innoson with pride," Murray-Bruce posted on X, acknowledging Innoson's existing EV efforts. He urged Chukwuma, "My appeal, brother: make electric your main line, not your sideline."

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You have already started the electric journey with the EX02 and the new Nnewi plant. My appeal, brother: make electric your main line, not your sideline.

Murray-Bruce contends that the economic landscape strongly favors EVs. He highlighted Nigeria's abundant, free solar energy as a key advantage over rising petrol prices, which exceed ₦1,300 per liter. Electric cars, with fewer moving parts, offer lower maintenance costs and save families money, while also reducing Nigeria's expenditure of scarce dollars on fuel imports.

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Petrol is above ₦1,300 a litre, but sunlight is free in Nigeria 365 days a year. Electric cars have fewer moving parts, so they cost far less to maintain; they save families money every month, and they save Nigeria the scarce dollars we burn importing fuel.

The appeal also references Nigeria's lithium deposits, particularly in Nasarawa State, and global EV adoption trends. Murray-Bruce noted that one in four new cars sold worldwide last year was electric, with China exceeding 50%. He urged Innoson to leverage these factors, stating, "The world has moved. Let #innosonvehicles be the reason Nigeria catches up."

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The lithium is already in our soil in Nasarawa. Meanwhile, one in every four new cars sold worldwide last year was electric, in China it is more than half, and Ethiopia has stopped importing petrol cars altogether. The world has moved. Let #innosonvehicles be the reason Nigeria catches up.