Ampersand Scales Nairobi Electric Motorcycle Manufacturing Capacity To Meet Kenya’s Growing Demand For Electric Motorcycles

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New Nairobi manufacturing facility triples manufacturing capability in Kenya, fueling the county’s transition to electrical bikes. Ampersand now has 1150 bikes on the roads of Nairobi.

There are over 2 million inside combustion engine bikes in Kenya. Bikes are primarily used as public transport automobiles in Kenya. These bike taxis are popularly often known as boda bodas. The bike taxi trade is an important section of Kenya’s financial system. Transitioning this sector to electrical will make an enormous distinction within the pockets of the homeowners of the bikes in addition to the riders. Most of the startups which can be energetic in Kenya’s electrical bike ecosystem are providing revolutionary financing preparations, together with fashions the place one should purchase the bike after which lease the batteries, decreasing the upfront prices. Vary anxiousness fears are additionally eradicated by providing battery swap providers.

Electrical bikes are beginning to acquire vital traction in Kenya by way of adoption. 2023 was the primary time that Kenyan bike gross sales noticed a noticeable enhance by way of the share of general bike gross sales. In 2023, there have been 70,691 bikes bought in Kenya. 2,557 of those have been electrical. Meaning 3.6% of bikes bought in 2023 in Kenya have been electrical. That’s nearly 4%! Quickly the market share will attain the essential 5%, which is usually seen because the tipping level indicating the beginning of mass adoption. The share of electrical bikes rose to three.6% in 2023 from 2.8% in 2022 and 0.5% in 2021.

There’s extra excellent news for the Kenyan electrical bike sector. Ampersand, one in all Africa’s main electrical automobile (EV) and vitality tech corporations, has simply introduced the opening of a brand new, bigger manufacturing facility in Nairobi, tripling the corporate’s manufacturing capability in Kenya. This strategic growth permits it to fulfill the quickly growing demand for electrical bikes within the nation, the place over 1,100 Ampersand e-motos are already in operation.

The brand new manufacturing facility spans 21,000 sq. metres, making it over 3 times bigger than the earlier 6,500-square-metre web site. This vital improve, coupled with the deployment of over 100 workers, will enable Ampersand to assemble as much as 60 electrical bikes per day, or 1,440 per 30 days, in addition to proceed delivering essentially the most trusted battery swap community for Kenya’s thousands and thousands of economic bike riders.

Ampersand’s sustainable EV options minimize carbon emissions and supply vital financial savings to riders. Each Ampersand e-moto avoids at the least 2 mt CO2e per bike per 12 months, and, on common, will increase buyer revenue by 45% yearly, an important profit for Kenyan riders, who every assist a mean of three.8 individuals at dwelling.

The improved Kenyan operation, mixed with Ampersand’s profitable mannequin in Rwanda the place it has spearheaded the adoption of electrical bikes, lays a powerful basis for its continued growth throughout East Africa. At present, Ampersand’s fleet of professional quality industrial e-motos and good, AI-optimised batteries covers over 4.5 million kilometres per week in Kigali and Nairobi mixed. This newest scaling positions the corporate to fulfill rising demand for electrical bikes, not simply in Kenya however throughout East Africa, the place 100 million individuals rely on largely petrol bikes for taxi or supply providers. Ampersand goals to deploy 5 million electrical bikes by 2033.

“Our new Nairobi factory is a major step forward in both scale and impact,” stated Josh Whale, CEO of Ampersand. “It reflects our dedication to providing sustainable, affordable EV solutions that directly benefit riders and the environment. With this expanded capacity, we’re in a stronger position to support the electrification of Africa’s commercial motorcycle transport and to scale Ampersand’s proven business model.”

Ampersand now has greater than 4,000 zero emission e-motos in East Africa, which the corporate says price much less to run, delivering life-changing financial savings for its prospects, cleansing up air high quality, and enhancing individuals’s well being. The corporate is additional scaling its climate-led innovation and customer-centric providers to extra companies and markets.

The transition to electrical mobility in Africa, particularly in sectors such because the 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler area, will occur rather a lot quicker than lots of people realise. Thrilling occasions forward.