Big plan to replace Africa's motorbikes with electric models

BYD and Ampersand have reached an agreement they hope will replace Africa’s commercial motorbike transport system.

The collaboration is aimed at helping decarbonise Africa’s transport industry, offering non-air-polluting vehicles and economic savings.

BYD is China’s biggest electric vehicle manufacturer, while Ampersand is an Africa-focused electric transport energy company. The latter has a track record of serving a commercial e-motorcycle fleet and battery-swapping network at scale in Kenya and Rwanda.

The two companies plan to build about 40 000 electric motorcycles using BYD’s lithium-ion-phosphate cells by the end of 2026, with the long-term goal of electrifying a significant portion of Africa’s 30 million commercial motorbikes.