Ampersand Rwanda has teamed up with Chinese electric vehicle and battery maker BYD to produce 40,000 electric motorcycles in Kenya and Rwanda by the end of 2026. Ampersand aims to dominate Africa’s electric motorcycle market, which is expected to generate $4.87 billion in revenue by the end of 2024, according to Statista.
Established in 2016 by Josh Whale and supported by investors like the Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIP), Ampersand manufactures and deploys electric bikes in Rwanda and Kenya. The company also operates 18 charging stations in Kenya and 27 in Rwanda.
To expand in East Africa, Ampersand will leverage BYD’s expertise in creating smaller, affordable batteries. BYD sees Africa’s emerging market as a new growth opportunity after facing setbacks in Europe due to increased tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and advanced batteries.
The Chinese firm has set up a facility in Kenya to produce 500 electric vehicles this year and aims to produce 4,000 cars and buses next year.
“Africa offers them a new opportunity to scale their market,” said Andrew Amadi, board member of the Africa Electric Mobility Alliance and CEO of Ubuntu Solar Power Africa.
Investors are flocking to Rwanda and Kenya for electric vehicle projects due to favourable government policies. Rwanda has eliminated import duties on electric cars and motorbikes and allows companies to set up charging stations rent-free. In May, Indian electric vehicle company Spiro secured $50 million to boost electric motorbike production in Rwanda.
Kenya released its first draft of the National E-mobility Policy in April, which supports local battery manufacturing, recycling, and EV component production. This has attracted several investors, including BasiGo, Roam, and Ampersand, to increase their EV production.
“Electrifying the intensively used commercial motorcycles found across Africa is a logical first step to decarbonising a very large potential market of motorcycles across the Global South,” said Sihai Zhang from BYD Company.
Ampersand believes that electric two-wheelers can improve air quality and save drivers 45% annually on fuel and maintenance costs, enhancing livelihoods and promoting entrepreneurship.
“Switching the millions of taxi and delivery two-wheelers to EV energy tech represents one of the world’s best value-for-money decarbonisation opportunities,” said Josh Whale, CEO of Ampersand. “At the same time, this transformation will save millions of hardworking motorcycle riders $600 each a year, driving clean economic prosperity.”
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