Burkina Faso: ITAOUA Motors launches local electric vehicle assembly with FBDES support
In Tanghin-Dassouri, near Ouagadougou, an electric vehicle and motorcycle assembly plant is entering its operational phase, opening a new industrial chapter for the country’s mobility value chain.
“Made in Burkina Faso” electric vehicles with direct state involvement
Burkina Faso is reaching a new industrial milestone with the gradual start-up of an electric vehicle assembly facility led by local start-up ITAOUA Motors SA, in partnership with the Burkinabè Economic and Social Development Fund (FBDES). The site is located in Tanghin-Dassouri, just a few kilometres from Ouagadougou, with a clear objective: to locally produce electric cars and motorcycles adapted to urban and peri-urban use.
FBDES has mobilised FCFA 3.75 billion, including FCFA 750 million in equity representing 25% of the company’s share capital. This financing is earmarked for the construction of modern industrial infrastructure and the acquisition of specialised equipment for electric vehicle assembly, reflecting direct state involvement focused on import substitution and the creation of local technical jobs.
Production designed for the local market
The first announced models — Sahel and Native — target a range of around 330 km after a 30-minute fast charge, a key parameter for operations in West African urban environments. Part of the assembly is already underway in the capital, notably in Ouaga 2000, where Burkinabè engineers have been trained in industrial processes with support from international technical partners.
This approach enables:
- reduced logistics costs linked to importing fully built vehicles,
- shorter time-to-market,
- transfer of local skills in assembly, maintenance and quality control.
In the medium term, ITAOUA also plans to roll out electric motorcycles — a critical segment in African cities where two-wheelers account for a large share of daily mobility flows.
Immediate operational impact on the mobility value chain
For the local ecosystem, the effects are tangible:
- new industrial capacity in an advanced technology segment,
- direct jobs in assembly and engineering, plus indirect employment in distribution, maintenance and related services,
- an expected reduction in imports of internal combustion vehicles.
From a logistics perspective, local assembly reshapes flow structures: fewer fully built vehicles imported, more components, batteries and sub-assemblies moving through the supply chain, requiring tighter coordination, secure storage and critical parts management.
In urban contexts marked by congestion and rising energy costs, locally produced electric vehicles also open the door to professional fleets — taxis, last-mile delivery and public administrations — with potential gains in operating costs.
Regional snapshot
Across West Africa, only a handful of countries currently host dedicated electric vehicle assembly facilities. Burkina Faso is joining a trajectory already visible in Kenya and South Africa, but with a stronger focus on adapting products to local constraints (cost, range, usage patterns). If the model proves viable, it could inspire similar initiatives across the sub-region, particularly for urban fleets and last-mile logistics.
With the ITAOUA plant, Burkina Faso is laying the foundations for electric urban mobility embedded in its industrial strategy. In the short term, impact will be measured in local capacity and jobs. In the medium term, the challenge shifts to supply chain execution: securing components, structuring distribution networks and making electric mobility economically viable for everyday use.
