People look at the electric motorbikes during the launch of an e-bike project in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on July 5, 2023. Picture: Joy Nabukewa / Xinhua
By Xinhua writers Yang Jun, Nie Zuguo, Lin Jing
In Kenya's capital Nairobi, motorcycles have become an essential choice for residents due to their flexibility, convenience and affordability, with an increasing number of electric models on the roads.
Driven by growing environmental awareness and technological advancements, many African countries have begun actively promoting electric motorcycles in recent years to reduce pollution and shift toward sustainable transportation.
With the development of online motorcycle taxi services, the African motorcycle market is experiencing significant growth.
In Kenya, Africa's largest motorcycle taxi market, 5.2 million people are employed in motorcycle transport, with one in ten relying on motorcycles for their livelihood. Due to the recent surge in fuel prices, electric motorcycles have become the preferred option, as their cost per kilometre is only about 10% of the gasoline-powered ones.
This significant advantage has led to a boom in electric motorcycles in the African market. According to the latest report by Powering Renewable Energy, a think tank, the African motorcycle market is expected to reach US$5.07 billion by 2027, with electric motorcycles becoming the dominant product in the transition to sustainable transport in sub-Saharan Africa.
Many African countries are also considering ways to reduce pollution by promoting electric travel. According to Joyce Msuya, former deputy executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, the rapid development of electric motorcycles in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and other African countries “will reduce costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as create jobs”.
Based in Kampala, Uganda's capital, Gogo Electric, one of the country's three leading electric motorcycle manufacturers, imports lithium-ion batteries from China and assembles electric motorcycles for the local market.
Customers can always bring their used batteries to a battery swap station, where they can get a fully charged battery at a lower price, said Janos Bisasso, the chief operating officer of Gogo Electric.
Bisasso said that over time, customers may realise that swapping batteries is less expensive than refuelling, which may encourage them to choose electric motorcycles.
Official data shows that the transport sector is one of the country's main sources of pollution, making a transition to green-energy transport necessary.
The country will fully transition to electric mobility in public transport and motorcycle taxis by 2030. It will entirely shift to selling electric vehicles by 2040, according to Uganda's National E-Mobility Strategy, published last November.
Under this strategy, a sustainable transport system will be established, with a more than 25 percent reduction in transport-related emissions and the creation of over 500,000 green jobs by 2040.
According to a report by the International Energy Agency, the electric vehicle market in Africa has seen rapid growth in recent years, with notable successes in countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.
With their technical experience in motorcycle manufacturing and batteries, Chinese companies have contributed significantly to this "revolution" with their affordable, high-quality products.
ARC Ride, a start-up in Kenya, has based its R&D, assembly and sales locally, but some parts still need to be imported from China, India and Japan, with China providing the majority.
Spiro Electric Vehicles, another major player in African electric vehicles, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with a Chinese company in 2023 to sell 500,000 electric motorcycles over the next five years, covering emerging markets such as Kenya and Uganda.
"China is an inspiration for many African companies in the field of electric transport," said Bisasso. "Gogo Electric plans to build the largest lithium-ion battery assembly plant in East Africa this year, and China is a key partner in this endeavour."
Xinhua