Ampersand Unveils Upgraded Electric Motorcycle Named “Alpha”

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The transition to electrical in Africa’s motorbike taxi business is shaping up properly now. A number of corporations working in key markets are scaling up their operations. One of many main gamers on this business is Ampersand. Ampersand presently has operations in Rwanda and Kenya. Ampersand powers over 5,700 electrical bikes that are actually touring a mean of 950,000 km day by day. That’s the equal of touring 100 instances from Cape of Good Hope to Cairo day by day.

Ampersand is definitely an electrical car vitality tech firm, not only a motorbike firm, and is now positioning its branding to mirror this. In a significant step alongside this journey, Ampersand has simply unveiled the most recent model of its flagship electrical motorbike, previously referred to as the Ampersand Bike. The upgraded motorbike will now be referred to as “Alpha.” Alpha is a separate model id for the Ampersand motorbike that displays each its pioneering legacy as the primary industrial electrical motorbike in Africa, in addition to distinguishing the motorbike model from Ampersand’s core vitality know-how and swap station enterprise.

Since its inception as Africa’s first e-mobility startup, Ampersand has been on the forefront of slicing carbon emissions and driving clear financial prosperity by making EV vitality know-how and infrastructure accessible to the mass market. On prime of that, Ampersand says it’s delivering life-changing financial savings for its clients, enhancing air high quality, and enhancing public well being. Now, with the introduction of the Alpha model, Ampersand says it’s demonstrating its ongoing dedication to making sure clients have one of the best e-motorcycles obtainable, whereas additionally offering clear, dependable vitality to a rising listing of mobility companions.

I used to be lately in Rwanda, and I used to be amazed to see the sheer variety of motorbike taxis on the streets of Kigali. Driving from the airport on the night of my arrival, I may already see swarms of riders going about their enterprise in Kigali. What actually struck me is that though there are millions of these bikes on the streets of Kigali, it isn’t as chaotic as in different components of the world.

What additionally stood out to me was the truth that you don’t even have to look out for electrical bikes. They’re actually all over the place and simple to identify. That already provides you an concept of the rising market share of electrical bikes anecdotally. Nicely, the excellent news is there may be a lot progress in Rwanda and now we’re beginning to get some good knowledge to showcase all this development!

One factor that’s fairly distinct is that you simply see lots of Ampersand bikes on the street. You may’t miss them with their shiny yellow battery packs. Ampersand says this is because of all of the arduous work the corporate has put in through the years. “The market has spoken with overwhelming clarity: 9 out of 10 riders in Rwanda choose Alpha e-motos (formerly Ampersand) over competitors, including well-funded international alternatives. This extraordinary preference isn’t coincidental—it’s built on tangible advantages that matter to daily users, derived from years of on-the-ground experience and vertically integrated R&D and manufacturing. Riders consistently cite Alpha’s unmatched reliability, superior range, and exceptional cost savings, which directly impact their livelihoods.”

Ampersand provides that impartial comparisons present that the Ampersand motorbike (now Alpha motorbike) delivers as much as 40% extra operational hours between upkeep, persistently outperforming alternate options in Rwanda and Kenya’s difficult terrain and situations. Most tellingly, Alpha’s rider retention charge exceeds 98%.

Let’s check out the upgrades which have been integrated within the new Alpha electrical motorbike, which Ampersand says are based mostly on direct suggestions from hundreds of customers. Ampersand says the brand new Alpha mannequin boasts over 50 enhancements, together with:

• A extra rugged entrance tyre and bolstered wheel rim — Engineered for superior off-road efficiency, this improve offers enhanced traction and puncture resistance for riders who often navigate unpaved roads and tough terrain.
• Hill Park Gadget — This revolutionary characteristic prevents rollback on steep inclines, guaranteeing safer hill begins and decreasing rider fatigue throughout frequent stops on slopes.
• Improved rebound damping — The upgraded suspension system delivers smoother shock absorption, providing larger consolation and management on uneven roads whereas decreasing pressure on the bike’s body.
• Regenerative braking button — Riders can now manually have interaction regenerative braking to increase battery vary whereas sustaining higher velocity management, notably helpful throughout downhill rides.
• Improved turning radius with ergonomic handlebars — The improved steering system permits for tighter manoeuvres in city visitors and confined areas, and ergonomic handlebars cut back rider fatigue.
• Heavy-duty higher triple clamp — This bolstered element will increase steering column sturdiness, offering improved stability and dealing with below heavy masses or at increased speeds.
• Upgraded steering head bearings — Delivering smoother steering response and decreased friction, these premium bearings improve management precision and lengthen the bike’s operational lifespan.

Ampersand says some extra options embrace a sturdy steel entrance mudguard, improved braking effectivity, a rugged rear tire, and elevated seating consolation. Riders will even respect the added comfort of tank cupboard space — making the brand new Alpha extra succesful and rider-friendly than ever.

Final 12 months, BYD signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ampersand to collaborate within the electrical motorbike sector. Ampersand will buy BYD’s high-tech battery cells to construct round 40,000 electrical bikes by the tip of 2026, with the long-term aim of electrifying a big portion of Africa’s 30 million industrial motorbikes. BYD’s cutting-edge lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells have an extended lifespan, have a superb security document, and are reasonably priced for on a regular basis customers, making them superb for mass-market electrification. These new Alpha electrical bikes will get BYD-based battery packs quickly.

“The Alpha motorcycle represents the culmination of years of learning, innovation, and collaboration with our riders,” stated Muhamed Ceesay, Senior {Hardware} Product Supervisor at Ampersand. “Every improvement we’ve made is a direct response to the needs of our customers, ensuring that Alpha continues to deliver unmatched value and performance.”

Ampersand says the title Alpha was chosen to honour the motorbike’s heritage as the primary industrial electrical motorbike to efficiently function at scale in Africa. Ampersand provides that this new title additionally highlights Ampersand’s management in buyer satisfaction, engineering, manufacturing, and administration. Alpha signifies pioneering excellence, and the daybreak of a brand new period of fresh, reasonably priced, higher mobility for all.

“Alpha isn’t just a name—it’s a legacy,” stated Alper Tilev, co-founder & CTO at Ampersand. “This motorcycle pioneered the electric mobility revolution in Africa, and the new Alpha generation carries forward that legacy while establishing a distinct identity that riders can rally behind with pride.”

Ampersand’s Vitality Revolution

The rebranding of the electrical motorbike to deliver to the fore its essential focus as an electrical car vitality tech firm at this time limit is principally as a result of, at its core, Ampersand has advanced into greater than a motorbike producer. Ampersand says it’s now Africa’s main EV vitality and vitality know-how supplier. Ampersand says the corporate’s AI-optimized battery swap community represents the continent’s most superior vitality supply system for electrical mobility. This proprietary system manages almost 18,000 battery recharges and swaps every single day. The built-in IoT battery administration platform ensures real-time monitoring, predictive upkeep, and 99.72% uptime throughout the community. Ampersand’s AI-driven backend software program balances vitality demand, optimizes battery lifecycles, and delivers unmatched reliability on the lowest doable working and capex prices.

The corporate is now able to unlock the transformative potential of its vitality know-how. Ampersand simply introduced that it’s embarking on a strategic growth of its vitality platform past its personal automobiles. The corporate is in lively discussions with a number of main motorbike producers throughout Africa to combine their fashions into Ampersand’s established vitality community.

Josh Whale, founder & CEO of Ampersand, stated: “For years, we tried to persuade the traditional  large motorcycle manufacturers that focused on ICE bikes, to start building electric motorcycles. But early in 2024, we reached a major inflection point. Suddenly, a range of large motorcycle manufacturers began knocking on our door, convinced that electric was the future for Africa’s motorcycle industry, and Ampersand was the clear leader in both vehicles and energy delivery in this sector. Our landmark exclusive partnership with BYD only accelerated that. By opening our batteries and network to other manufacturers, we can accelerate the transition to sustainable transportation while creating a more robust ecosystem that benefits all participants. Partnering with other motorcycle manufacturers also allows a much wider range of vehicles to become available to Africans far quicker, at lower prices, and in more countries than one company could ever do itself.”

This initiative represents a transformative shift in Ampersand’s enterprise mannequin — from a single motorbike model with proprietary vitality infrastructure to an open ecosystem that helps a number of car choices. Prospects will quickly be capable to select from a various vary of electrical bikes, all powered by Ampersand’s dependable vitality community. It is a sport changer. Opening up their vitality infrastructure and ecosystem encourages interoperability and can assist construct a vital mass of electrical bikes to essentially stimulate a quicker transition to electrical mobility.