Switzerland is backing a solar-electric retrofit project for Dakar's Car Rapides minibuses through an Article 6.2 carbon offset agreement with Senegal. The EcoCar Solaire plan would replace diesel engines with swappable batteries charged by solar panels, targeting 1,680 vehicles, about 20% of the fleet, and offsetting 300,000 tonnes of CO2 for Switzerland. After six years of waiting for approval from Swiss authorities, the first converted minibus completed a test drive in Switzerland in August 2025 and is being prepared for shipment to Senegal. The project depends on official recognition under the Swiss offset framework to unlock investment, but regulators have tightened scrutiny around additionality and transparency. The outcome will be a useful signal for other Article 6.2 projects trying to move from pilot to scale.
