African ingenuity on display as solar-powered electric bike attempts 6,000km journey from Nairobi to Stellenbosch
In a revolutionary demonstration of African innovation and sustainable technology, an electric motorcycle designed and built in Africa will embark on an ambitious 6,000km journey from Nairobi to Stellenbosch.
Powered solely by solar energy, this initiative highlights the continent's potential in the electric mobility sector and will coincide with Transport Month in South Africa in October.
Accompanied by two support vehicles, the electric motorcycle will leave Nairobi next Sunday, September 29, and is expected to arrive in Stellenbosch on Monday, October 18, in time for the University’s Electric Mobility Day celebration.
This endeavour is the result of a collaboration between Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Engineering and Roam, a Nairobi-based technology-driven electric mobility company, to put the Roam Air, a custom electric motorcycle designed for urban environments, through its paces on this epic journey.
“Roam donated two of its electric motorcycles to our group for research and testing,” explains Professor Thinus Booysen, founder of the Electric Mobility Lab.
“We cannot think of a better way to kick-start our research collaboration than testing the motorcycle overland. To do this within the African fraternity of ingenuity is an enormous privilege,” he added.
This partnership aims to not only test the Roam Air but also to drive research on electric vehicles and their supporting ecosystems, including local manufacturing, electric vehicle powertrains, and planning for urban electric mobility.
Masa Kituyi, the EM Product Owner at Roam, emphasised the importance of this journey.
“This journey showcases Kenya's ability to design and locally manufacture world-class electric vehicles for African conditions. It’s a testament to local innovation, leading the way in sustainable mobility solutions”.
On the trip, the motorcycle will be ridden by PhD candidate and co-researcher Stephan Lacock, alongside Kituyi.
Lacock also noted the significance of the trip.
“The emphasis is not on whether such a trip can be done, as there have been other similar journeys in the world, but rather to showcase African ingenuity and collaboration between SU and Roam to overcome African conditions with green solar energy.”
The SU research team is particularly interested in evaluating the performance of the motorcycle's drivetrain and swappable batteries, as well as the effectiveness of the solar recharging system.
On October 18 at Asara Wine Estate, the Electric Mobility Lab at Stellenbosch University will officially launch, coinciding with the arrival of the Roam Air, which will be officially handed over to the Lab.
A highlight of the event will also be the handover of a retrofitted 65-seater bus to Golden Arrow Bus Service.
Attendees will include government officials, industry representatives, and researchers, all eager to witness demonstrations of various electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.
IOL