Source: The Pack Image credit: Ssenyondo Gabriel, Unsplash

Motorcycles are considered a key pillar in the African urban mobility sector, with millions being used as taxi vehicles. In recent years, the market has become increasingly electrified, thanks to lower costs and several start-ups in the region offering convenient offerings for motorcycle taxi drivers.

Many taxi drivers in the region have transitioned to using electric motorcycles due to them requiring less maintenance, lower operating costs (approximately 30–40% less), and playing a role in reducing urban pollution. Riders who have switched to electric versions have reportedly managed to increase their daily earnings, as they no longer have to spend a large amount of their income on petrol and repairs, as they had with their previous ICE models.

African start-ups electrifying motorcycle taxis

There has been an emergence of African start-ups aspiring to supply this market by innovating their own electric motorcycles, especially for taxi drivers and delivery fleets, with many integrating battery-swap infrastructure, direct fleet management and financing solutions into their vehicle offerings.

E-motorcycle adoption by region

Although e-motorcycle start-ups are emerging all over the continent, the epicentre of motorcycle electrification is East Africa, especially the countries of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, where there are millions of motorcycle taxis in daily operation. For example, in Kenya, e-motorcycles are experiencing rapid growth rates with a 15.3% market share recently reported, demonstrating how quickly the market is expanding.

As motorcycle taxi riders travel large distances and depend on their bikes for income, they are very sensitive to fuel costs, which makes electric motorcycle adoption economically more attractive, as well as convenient with battery-swap networks and flexible financing models.

It has been anticipated that although Africa’s electric motorcycle industry is still fairly new, its potential for growth is significant. As there are already millions of users and many e-motorbike start-ups all over the continent, increasing usage could reshape urban mobility and decrease fuel dependence in the region. Global manufacturers may also look to capitalise on supplying this promising market in the next decade.