( CNN ) Sleek chassis , alluring paintwork and a need for speed , but these are no ordinary motors . When pedal hits metal , an eco-friendly process gets set in motion . Powered by electricity and engineered for efficiency , car enthusiasts from across Africa are sparking home-grown concepts that have gotten experts revving . In Zaria , a city in northern Nigeria , a team of students from the Ahmadu Bello University are currently applying the final touches to the `` ABUCAR 2 . '' The students used locally available materials to build the vehicle , and even included recycled electrical components in the engine . While it runs on gasoline , the engine maximizes fuel efficiency and produces fewer emissions than normal cars . `` We are sure we have a great car , '' says the project 's supervisor Muhammad Dauda . `` Now we are focusing on making some final enhancements to hone the driving strategy -- this is just like Formula One . '' Their compact creation , which was built over five months , will travel to The Netherlands in May to compete in the European leg of this year 's Shell Eco-marathon -- the motoring competition rewards those who travel the longest distance using the least amount of fuel . But the team is also working towards a hybrid petro-electric motor , which they hope to unveil in 2016 . At low speeds the vehicle will be powered by electricity alone , but at higher speeds both electric and petrol components will work together . Between extremes , excess power generated by the engine recharges the batteries that power the electric motor . It 's the model that Toyota uses in the Prius . Green-focused designs like these are increasingly needed on the continent , as some studies say 50 % of global emissions of organic carbon could come from Africa in 2030 . At May 's Shell Eco-marathon , ABUCAR 's team will be hoping to race past the sleek `` Autonov III '' creation from the University of Lagos . Painted the colors of the Nigerian flag and powered by a solar battery , the car 's aerodynamic teardrop shape helps minimize drag . Constructing earlier iterations of this vehicle was put under stress in 2013 when university teachers went on a six month strike , but the industrial action did n't stop the team from tinkering with the electric engine . `` We 've used small tires to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle , '' explains team manager Chukwuemeka Isiogu . `` We 've trained ourselves to just think about fuel efficiency and create the most efficient vehicle . '' Other eco-friendly engineers are less about sleek and more focused on comfort . Uganda 's Makerere University has produced a two-seater electric car called `` Kiira EV '' . With a super-light fibreglass body and lithium ion battery , the car can go 50 miles on a single charge . The design project cost $ 35,000 , but the engineers made sure to include leather seats and a CD player . Whilst working on the Kiira , the team is also developing an 28-seater electric bus which will run on a mixture of electric and solar power . Innovative creations have also come from the University of Benin in Nigeria . Their `` Tuke-Tuke '' car -- named after local mini-buses -- is made from locally available materials . The brake pads , for example , are made from palm kernels . Tuke-Tuke also has some key features that will come in handy when slipping through the city 's streets . Windscreen wipers start automatically when rain hits the sensors , gears can be changed with the touch of a button and owners use their finger rather than a key to unlock the doors . And when it gets dark , the driver just needs to clap their hands to turn on the interior lights . Elsewhere , engineers are working on green vehicles for the whole family . One Ghanaian inventor is building SUVs with electric motors powered by rechargeable batteries . Apostle Safo , who also founded a church , dreams big in his five-seater creations which are hand built in Gomoa Mpota , except for the headlights and tires . While he says the product will be affordable , it remains to be seen just how much a handmade SUV would cost . These innovations certainly are impressive concepts , but it 's unlikely electric vehicles will be filling roads on the continent any time soon -- it is unclear how economically viable it would be for governments and companies to build the right number of charging points , but the issue of power itself is even more pressing . `` Reliability when it comes to electricity supply is key , '' says South African sustainability consultant Anthony Dane . `` Convincing consumers across Africa to invest in an electric vehicle whilst electricity shortages are such a major issue in so many communities is a challenge . '' Read this : Africa 's 10 most prosperous countries . More from Marketplace Africa . Editor 's Note : CNN Marketplace Africa covers the macro trends impacting the region and also focuses on the continent 's key industries and corporations .
African students and car enthusiasts are promoting eco - friendly activities . Nigerian students will compete in an ` ` Eco - Marathon '' in 2019 .