Roam Air Electric Motorcycle Embarks On Historic 6,000-KM Solar-Powered Trip From Nairobi To South Africa!

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October is transport month in South Africa. One of many highlights of the month is the Smarter Mobility Africa Summit at present being held in Midrand, close to Johannesburg. The Smarter Mobility Africa Summit is an annual gathering that conjures up and connects visionary mobility answer suppliers, thought leaders, key patrons, and decision-makers from enterprise and authorities to make mobility smarter and extra linked in Africa. It has a serious concentrate on electrical mobility and micromobility. One other thrilling improvement throughout this transport month is the primary ever 6000-kilometer solar-powered electrical bike journey from Nairobi, Kenya, to Stellenbosch, South Africa.

In partnership with Stellenbosch College, the Roam Air will journey 6,000 kilometers in an unprecedented showcase of African innovation and shall be powered solely by photo voltaic vitality. This expedition marks the primary time an African-designed electrical bike will cowl such a distance. The journey goals to check the efficiency of Roam Air’s drivetrain, moveable charging twin batteries, in addition to a transportable photo voltaic recharging answer. The moveable photo voltaic charging answer has a 14.3 kWh Balancell DC battery and 10x545W bifacial photo voltaic panels and shall be transported in a help automobile.

The initiative is a partnership between Roam and Stellenbosch College’s School of Engineering. Researchers on the college’s Electrical Mobility Lab are wanting to see how Roam Air performs in long-distance circumstances, far past its city design. The undertaking may even contribute helpful insights into the way forward for electrical mobility in Africa. The Roam Air will journey by Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and Botswana, earlier than reaching Stellenbosch by October 18th. Two solar-powered automobiles will accompany the bike, guaranteeing the Roam Air batteries are charged solely by the solar all through the expedition.

PhD candidate Stephan Lacock and Roam’s Product Proprietor Masa Kituyi will experience the bike, capturing real-world efficiency information over various terrain. “This journey isn’t just about whether it can be done — it’s about showing that African innovation, powered by solar energy, can overcome the continent’s unique challenges,” mentioned Lacock. Along with Roam, the analysis staff will concentrate on testing the efficiency of Roam Air’s drivetrain, moveable charging know-how, and photo voltaic recharging programs. The bike’s journey will present a singular alternative to evaluate its reliability and effectivity over an prolonged distance underneath numerous environmental circumstances.

The Roam Air, constructed with the African terrain in thoughts, will show its versatility because it takes on this long-distance 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,” remarked Masa Kituyi.

The collaboration between SU and Roam goals to advance electrical mobility options that aren’t solely sustainable, but in addition sensible for African circumstances. This expedition was made attainable by the help of SANED through the LEAP-RE undertaking, Throttle Pitstop, Scatec, Balancell, Voetspore, Tracks for Africa, Bush Lapa, and Charlie’s Travels, all of which contribute to the success of this journey. The undertaking goals to spotlight the potential of solar-powered transport in Africa and show that electrical bikes can full long-distance journeys with renewable vitality.

The journey shall be documented and there are plans to provide a documentary showcasing the challenges and improvements that emerge as an instance the potential for solar-powered mobility throughout the continent. It’s going to culminate in Stellenbosch on October 18th, in time for the College’s Electrical Mobility Day celebration. In the course of the occasion, SU’s Electrical Mobility Lab will formally launch on the Sustainability Institute, marking a big step ahead within the improvement of electrical mobility in Africa. A spotlight of the occasion would be the handover of a retrofitted 65-seater electrical bus to Golden Arrow Bus Service, in addition to the formal presentation of the Roam Air bike to the Electrical Mobility Lab.

Electrical bikes are gaining traction in Kenya’s bike taxi and on-demand supply sectors. 2023 was the primary time that Kenyan bike gross sales noticed a noticeable enhance within the share of electrical bikes in general new registrations. In 2023, there have been 70,691 bikes bought in Kenya, and a couple of,557 of those had been electrical. Which means 3.6% of bikes bought in 2023 in Kenya had been electrical, which is nearly 4%. Quickly the market share will attain the crucial 5% which is usually seen because the tipping level indicating the beginning of mass adoption.

Photos courtesy of Roam and Stellenbosch College.