Uganda’s boda-boda riders, who are known for their motorbike taxi services, will soon be making the switch from internal combustion engines to purely electric vehicles. According to an agreement signed between the Ugandan government and African eMobility start-up Spiro, 140,000 motorbike taxis in Kampala will be replaced by electric vehicles within the next five years. The deal will enable verified boda-boda drivers to exchange their current vehicles for electric ones free of charge, and Spiro will generate revenue from the exchange of batteries at its stations. The Bloomberg news agency reported that the planned number of electric Spiro machines would account for almost 90% of the taxis registered in Kampala.
Spiro, formerly known as M Auto, has already demonstrated success in Benin and Togo, with a total of 4,500 electric motorbikes. The company is now planning to invest $200 million in the Ugandan market, given its partnership with the government. Spiro’s CEO, Shegun Adjadi Bakari, said that the company’s “rapid rollout is proof that electric two-wheelers are the future of sustainable mobility in Africa.” Additionally, Spiro is planning to build an e-bike assembly plant worth around $15 million.
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The move towards electric mobility is not exclusive to Spiro. Roam, a Swedish-Kenyan e-bike start-up, recently announced that it will be relocating to a new location in Nairobi to increase its production and build over 50,000 examples of the Air e-motorcycle per year. Roam plans to achieve this production capacity “in a few years”, according to a press release.
The shift towards sustainable mobility in Africa is critical given the current environmental challenges the continent faces. Motorbikes, in particular, have been a significant source of air pollution, contributing to respiratory diseases and premature deaths. The switch to electric mobility will not only benefit the environment, but it will also reduce the cost of maintenance and fuel for riders, increase job opportunities in the e-mobility sector, and improve the livelihoods of millions of people who rely on boda-boda services as a means of transport.
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In the words of Spiro CEO Shegun Adjadi Bakari, “We believe that a sustainable future for Africa is one where electric two-wheelers are at the forefront of mobility solutions, and we are excited to lead the charge towards that future.” The government of Uganda’s partnership with Spiro is a step towards achieving that sustainable future.
