{
  "id": 17313122,
  "title": "Sinotrucks Unveils Electric Brand, Sitrak in Nigeria, Targets Lower Haulage Costs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/sinotrucks-unveils-electric-brand-sitrak-in-nigeria-targets-lower",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T00:11:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/10/31/sinotrucks-unveils-electric-brand-sitrak-in-nigeria-targets-lower-haulage-costs/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nigerian Sinotrucks Limited, a government-recognized vehicle assembler and distributor of China’s Sinotruk brand, has launched Sitrak electric commercial trucks in Nigeria. The move aims to lower haulage costs for businesses facing high fuel prices and increasing logistics expenses. Alfred Okugbeni, the company’s founder and Managing Director, explained that the introduction of electric trucks is part of Sinotrucks' strategy to expand alternative-energy transportation solutions in Nigeria, following their involvement in the compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle market.\n\nOkugbeni highlighted that transportation costs are a significant expense for businesses and impact consumer prices for essential goods. He emphasized that electric trucks offer opportunities to reduce energy expenditure, especially for companies with predictable routes and access to charging facilities. According to Okugbeni, electric trucks could lead to cost savings of between 40-50 percent compared to conventional alternatives, contingent on factors such as electricity costs, vehicle utilization, charging infrastructure, financing, and maintenance requirements.\n\nThe company initially targets fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers and distributors for its electric trucks. These businesses often have regular deliveries between factories, warehouses, retail outlets, and distribution centers. Nigerian Sinotrucks Limited anticipates that these companies could benefit from overnight charging when manufacturing facilities have excess energy outside peak production hours, reducing dependence on public charging stations.\n\nThe company plans to initially introduce light electric trucks for intra-city distribution, with a target range of up to 200 kilometers per day. This entry-level model is designed for urban delivery routes. Okugbeni stated that the company intends to expand its offerings progressively as charging infrastructure improves and more applications become commercially viable. He noted that operators should consider factors such as range under load, charging time, payload requirements, and route conditions when determining the suitability of electric trucks for specific applications.\n\nRecognizing that acquisition costs may influence adoption, Sinotrucks is working with banks and other financial institutions to improve access to vehicle financing. The company has already established partnerships with several financial institutions to facilitate easy financing for prospective customers.",
  "summary": "Bennett Oghifo Nigerian Sinotrucks Limited, one of the Federal Government-recognised vehicle assemblers in Nigeria and a distributor of China’s Sinotruk brand, has introduced Sitrak electric commercial trucks into the Nigerian",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}