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A number of firms throughout plenty of nations on the African continent have put in quite a lot of work over the previous 7 years or so to ascertain and develop their electrical mobility corporations. Following a collection of pilot initiatives and a number of other iterations of their merchandise incorporating key learnings from these pilots, plenty of these firms are actually within the early levels of business rollouts of their merchandise. To essentially scale to the degrees required to assist manufacturing of their merchandise, quite a lot of capital is required, which is why I all the time get excited when these firms announce the success of a few of their funding rounds. This additionally reveals that funders and enterprise capitalists are actually eager to place some important cash into Arica’s nascent electrical mobility sector. Fairly plenty of the businesses which have raised some important capital are firms specializing in electrical bikes and to some extent, electrical tricycles. It is because the electrical motorbike sector presents a big addressable market, pushed largely by the motorbike taxi trade.
We’ve got some excellent news from Ghana. Doormain technology-driven power firm and end-to-end ecosystem enabler, has simply closed an $8.1 million pre-Collection A funding spherical. The funding, comprising $3.25 million in fairness, $4.315 million in debt, and $590,000 in grants, will gasoline the corporate’s growth and supercharge its AI-powered battery-swapping community, delivering dependable, clear power options to city Africa, beginning in Ghana and Kenya.
The spherical was co-led by E3 Capitalconsidered one of Africa’s largest early-stage climate-tech enterprise capital funds, and Injaro Investment Advisorsa Ghanaian non-public capital fund supervisor, with each offering fairness. Shell Foundation contributed to the increase by way of catalytic debt and grant, co-funded with the UK authorities by way of its Remodeling Power Entry (TEA) platform. The fund additionally options backing from high-profile European angel traders within the battery trade, together with Richard Thwaites, founding father of Penso Energy, considered one of Europe’s main grid-scale battery companies, acquired by BW Group in Oct 2024, who brings strategic insights into the battery sector.
This funding spherical will speed up Kofa’s growth into three main cities throughout West and East Africa. It can additionally fast-track the event of its proprietary AI-driven battery administration platform, a game-changing differentiator essential for optimizing and scaling its community to effectively handle hundreds of thousands of batteries.
Since its inception in 2022, Kofa has quickly turn into a driving drive within the clear power sector. The corporate has developed a swappable battery community that gives dependable, clear power for bikes, households, and small companies. Leveraging its cutting-edge expertise and proprietary Web of Issues (IoT) system — which tracks battery utilization, predicts demand, and optimizes power distribution — Kofa now facilitates over 200 battery swaps every day, reaching a 99% cost price with a mean swap time of beneath two minutes, saving time, lowering gasoline prices, and preserving companies working reliably.
As an end-to-end enabler, Kofa designs market-specific merchandise and licenses its mental property to key trade gamers. That is exemplified by way of its partnership with Tailga worldwide OEM, to mass-produce Kofa’s electrical motorbike design, which developed with direct consumer enter, making it one of many first absolutely bottom-up electrical motorbike designs for Africa. Working beneath a technology-first, asset-light mannequin, Kofa is reshaping the way forward for power by leveraging a Particular Objective Car (SPV) to finance essential infrastructure equivalent to batteries and swap stations, making certain scalable progress, whereas additionally partnering with trusted distributors like AutoPax in Kenya and shortly to be introduced partnerships in Ghana to develop market attain.
Kofa’s battery swapping community additionally helps stationary storage. The necessity for dependable, sustainable power is essential throughout Africa, the place backup turbines at the moment present as much as 40% of electrical energy in some elements of Africa, and bikes eat 40-60 billion liters of petrol yearly, producing about 10 instances extra hydrocarbon emissions per kilometer. Kofa is tackling this problem with a clear power community designed to transition city productiveness away from fossil gasoline dependency.
One factor now we have seen is that almost all of this growth and deployment of electrical bikes was within the main cities, if not the capital cities solely. That is comprehensible, as startups needed to handle their ramp-up correctly, taking into consideration obtainable assets. The excellent news is that as these startups start to scale, we are actually seeing them develop their operations to extra cities and cities exterior of those capital cities. In some thrilling information, Roam, considered one of Kenya’s main electrical mobility firms, has formally expanded its operations to Machakos County, additional strengthening its dedication to constructing a strong electrical transport ecosystem past Nairobi. Following the profitable launch of Roam Store – Thika in Thika City, Kiambu County, in November 2024, this new Machakos outlet marks the following step in Roam’s formidable nationwide growth plan for 2025. Strategically situated on the newly opened TotalEnergies Mua View Service Station, 6 km from Machakos City alongside the Kitui Highway, the outlet will convey Roam’s revolutionary electrical mobility options nearer to the neighborhood.
The Roam Store – Machakos will provide gross sales of Roam Air electrical bikes, Roam Air battery charging and rental companies, after-sales assist, and devoted customer support for the area. The Machakos location provides to Roam’s increasing cooperation with TotalEnergies, which already hosts 4 Roam Hubs, together with Lusaka Highway, Karambee in Juja Highway, Waiyaki Approach, and Outer Ring Highway, showcasing how petrol stations are evolving to assist clear mobility options.
Machakos is famend for its rugged and elevated terrain, together with landmarks like Iveti Hills and Kituluni Hill, the place water famously seems to move uphill. To make sure the Roam Air motorbike might thrive in such a demanding panorama, Roam deployed 5 items for hands-on check rides throughout boda boda levels within the space.
Roam says riders have reported excellent efficiency even beneath full masses, due to the Roam Air’s 240 kg payload capability and 58 Nm peak torque. Constructed with African riders in thoughts, the Roam Air embodies Roam’s design philosophy: “Designed in Africa, for Africa.”
Machakos riders can cost their Roam Air batteries at residence for about KES 80, offering a spread of 80–100 km per cost, relying on the driving mode. Compared, protecting the identical distance with an inside combustion engine (ICE) motorbike usually requires round 3 liters of gasoline, at the moment priced at KES 175 per liter, in accordance with the Power & Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA). Riders utilizing the Roam Air’s dual-battery function can cowl 160–200 km on a full cost. These with a single battery can go to the brand new Roam Hub in Machakos City to hire a charged battery for KES 20 per hour, serving to them keep away from downtime.
To make Roam Air extra accessible, Roam has introduced in financing companions, together with M-Kopa, 4G Capital, Mogo, and Watu Credit score, providing versatile fee plans ranging from as little as a KES 10,000 deposit and KES 460 in every day installments.
One of many main actions that drives adoption is elevating consciousness of electrical mobility at key occasions and roadshows. We want a complete lot of buyer consciousness and education schemes to catalyze adoption of electrical mobility on this a part of the world. Another good information from Kenya is that, as a part of its ongoing buyer and stakeholder engagement packages, Automotive & Basic displayed its Piaggio electrical three-wheeler on the two-day convention and exhibition by the Electrical Sector Affiliation of Kenya (ESAK) held between April 16 and 17, 2025 on the Trademark Resort, Nairobi. The occasion comes at a time when Kenya’s Industrial and Industrial (C&I) sector is experiencing speedy transformation pushed by the growing demand for dependable, price efficient and environmentally pleasant power options. Photo voltaic PV and EVs are match made in heaven given the important thing synergies and subsequently this was a key occasion to focus on their electrical three-wheelers.
Automotive & Basic launched the Piaggio Ape electrical automobiles within the Kenyan market in February 2024. The automobiles provide optimum worth for patrons by way of higher vary, grade capability, and cargo carrying capability, in addition to offering a aggressive complete price of possession. Automotive & Basic pioneered using three-wheelers as taxis in East Africa in 2002.
The Piaggio electrical car has superior driving vary, and a 12” tire dimension providing higher floor clearance and improved grade capability. Out there as a set battery answer, a swappable battery answer can be obtainable on the proper time. The superior battery efficiency ends in an extended run, enhanced earnings and efficient price of possession. The passenger model can go for 145 kilometers whereas the cargo one can do 115 kilometers per cost.
With minimal upkeep prices, one 12 months guarantee, superior expertise, and lengthy vary, the Piaggio electrical three-wheelers will certainly maximize the earnings of its clients. Superior telematics give drivers higher navigation and permits fleet homeowners to trace and handle their fleet effectively.
George Rubiri, the Basic Supervisor for Automotive & Basic (Buying and selling) Restricted, stated, “Car & General is committed to making our customers smile in every street, in every town with our quality products and after-sales services. Piaggio electric three-wheelers provides path-breaking last-mile transport solutions as we lead Kenya’s three wheeler EV mission.”
E-mobility and inexperienced power options uptake will lower down emissions, thus assuaging challenges of local weather change.
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