Columnists
Why the transition to e-mobility in Africa must be fast-tracked
Wednesday April 12 2023
Motorcycle sales fell 53.9 percent last year. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Historically, Asia has been the birthplace of motorcycles. China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam are the world’s four largest motorcycle markets. The continent is home to roughly 58 percent of all motorcycles in the world.
Africa is quickly catching up. According to a report by AMEND and the FIA Foundation, motorcycle usage in Africa has increased from less than five million in 2010 to an estimated 27 million in 2022.
Because of Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit, 80 percent of the continent’s motorcycles are used for commercial purposes such as taxis or delivery services.
Although Africa’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is negligible at under four percent, these petrol-powered two wheelers contribute a significant amount of carbon emissions. As Africa joins the rest of the world in the drive to reduce pollution, there is an opportunity to drive adoption of electrically powered motorcycles that produce less pollution.
Adoption of electric motorcycles in Africa has its challenges, the issue of charging batteries being one. Given that a significant proportion of motorcycles on African roads are used for commercial purposes, riders rarely have time to wait for their batteries to charge.
However, there are innovative solutions that can be deployed to address the challenge, and technology is rapidly advancing, providing opportunities for innovators to create long-term solutions to the continent’s most pressing challenges.
The advantages of electric motorcycles extend beyond financial savings for drivers and environmental advantages. As Africa continues to industrialise, so will the capacity for designing, building, and assembling motorcycle components.
This demonstrates an opportunity for green jobs growth throughout the value chain, from design to delivery and maintenance.
Given that Ampersand users travel over 1.9 million kilometres per month, for instance, there is a clear opportunity for electric motorcycles to impact Africa’s transportation industry and for electric motorcycles to become the sustainable lifeblood of public transport systems.
In fact, we have set an ambitious goal of electrifying all motorcycles in East Africa by 2030, and earlier in Rwanda by 2027.
Without a doubt, electric motorcycles have the potential to be a viable mode of transportation for millions of Africans. Technology will drive change by enabling innovators to create solutions to niche challenges in the adoption of e-mobility.
With the right investment, Africa’s transportation industry could be transformed while also creating job opportunities, reducing pollution, and saving drivers money.
