Africa’s e-mobility future rides on two-wheelers

First published 10 November, 2024

Two-wheelers, especially electric motorbikes and scooters, are emerging as the future of e-mobility in Africa, driven mainly by the region’s infrastructural challenges, government policies, and economic factors. Across sub-Saharan Africa, sales of motorbikes–commonly referred to as bodaboda in East Africa–have overtaken those of private cars. By 2030, motorcycle sales across the region will increase to over three million, with an electrification rate of 22%. This will be higher than other types of vehicles used in Africa.

On the continent, over 200 million people use motorbikes for delivery services or to get to work. In East Africa alone, 100 million people rely on two-wheelers as the primary means of transport, making them an indispensable part of the public transport system in Nairobi, Kigali and Kampala. In villages where road connections are poor, they are used to transport people and produce to the markets. In some remote areas, they are even used to transport the sick to hospitals, highlighting their significance in bridging the transportation challenges.

The Africa E-Mobility Index by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) shows that over half of 21 African countries have passed fiscal incentives and set e-mobility targets, pushed by the high cost of fuel imports and the Paris Agreement on CO2 emission reduction. For instance, Kenya has developed a National E-mobility Policy, which supports local battery manufacturing and recycling. The successful integration of two-wheelers into the existing transport systems has given birth to more than 20 EV startups, with Ampersand, Spiro, M-KOPA and Roam leading the charge.

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Rwanda’s Ampersand has over 4,000 e-motorbikes and expects to surpass 40,000 by the end of 2026, while Spiro has produced 18,000 across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Togo, Benin and recently launched in Nigeria. The low operation costs of electric two-wheelers have made them attractive to millions of riders. With fuel motorcycles, the riders spend more than $11 daily on fuel and leasing costs, leaving them with about $2 as a take-home. Local startups have developed mass-market e-motorbikes that cost less to buy, operate and maintain than a fuel equivalent. Riders have reported that they can make two and a half times as much with electric two-wheelers than when they ride a petrol-powered one.

With many startups ramping up local production capacity and investing in charging infrastructure, electric two-wheelers have become cheaper to purchase and maintain. This has made them accessible to a larger portion of the population, more than electric cars, which are gaining traction in mature markets like the EU and the US. The lower initial price and reduced maintenance costs­–fewer parts and no oil changes–make e-motorbikes attractive in African economies with high rates of low-income consumers.

For gig economy workers, the motorbike leasing models fronted by companies like Uganda’s Zembo make EV ownership even more affordable. All EV startups on the continent have battery leasing or pay-as-you-go models that have cut upfront costs. EV experts estimate that renting and swapping batteries saves riders more than $500 annually, boosting earnings for gig workers with razor-thin margins.

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African policy-makers have not matched the rapid urbanisation with infrastructural development. Severe traffic congestion in cities like Lagos, Nairobi, Cairo and Kampala has become part of the population’s daily life. Food delivery services and e-commerce growth have necessitated an efficient urban low-emission transport system. Two-wheelers can quickly cover short distances in dense African metropolises at low operational costs and emissions. Local startups have proved that it is easy to electrify the two-wheelers, matching Africa’s decarbonisation efforts to those of advanced economies like China, Europe and the US.

The global EV cars market has failed to adapt its solutions to Africa, leading to a slow uptake. American EV maker Tesla and Chinese BYD have little appetite for the African market, partly because of the lack of supporting infrastructure. EV range concerns present a huge difficulty in their adoption, particularly because of uneven road quality and the high cost of developing charging networks. Many electric two-wheeler manufacturers have resolved the challenge, designing vehicles suitable for the rugged African landscape and making them durable on untarmacked roads. This makes e-motorbikes an ideal EV option for remote African regions with less developed infrastructure.

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Unlike electric cars, which require larger charging stations and a good electricity grid system, which most African countries like Nigeria struggle to provide, electric two-wheelers need minimal space and can be established even in informal settlements and peri-urban areas. Some startups have started developing batteries that off-grid solar systems and home sockets can charge. This makes two-wheelers viable even in regions with unreliable power access.

Africa has become a hub for e-mobility innovation, with local startups creating solutions to fill gaps in transportation systems without waiting for grid expansion and infrastructure development. Companies like Ampersand, Zembo, and Roam have offered practical, affordable, and low-carbon mobility solutions that align with the continent’s socio-economic and infrastructure capacity. Adopting two-wheelers will likely accelerate in the coming years, outpacing electric cars, which demand more investment.

Adonijah Ndege

Senior Reporter