RWANDA – Ampersand Rwanda, an electric transport energy company, has partnered with Chinese electric vehicle and battery manufacturer BYD to build 40,000 electric motorcycles in Kenya and Rwanda by the end of 2026.
Founded in 2016 by Josh Whale and backed by institutional investors like the Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIP), Ampersand manufactures and deploys electric bikes in Rwanda and Kenya. It also owns 18 charging stations in Kenya and 27 in Rwanda.
Ampersand will use BYD’s expertise in making smaller inexpensive batteries to grow the East African market. Ampersand’s long-term goal is to win most of Africa’s electric motorcycle market.
BYD, which has suffered setbacks to its global expansion goals after the US government increased tariffs fourfold on electric vehicles and advanced batteries from China, will consider Africa’s nascent market a great opportunity.
The Chinese company set up a production facility in Kenya to produce 500 units of electric vehicles this year and plans to make 4000 cars and buses next year.
As its primary supplier, Ampersand will purchase BYD’s high-tech battery cells to build around 40,000 electric motorcycles by the end of 2026, aiming to electrify a large portion of Africa’s 30 million commercial motorbikes.
The partnership with BYD will enable Ampersand to scale its electric fleet rapidly and charging infrastructure, which is already the largest in Rwanda and Kenya.
This continued scaling will allow Ampersand to meet the increasing demand for commercial motorcycles across Africa as its cities expand and riders increase. It will provide a sustainable solution to support the continent’s economic growth.
“This partnership marks a major milestone for Ampersand as we continue to lead the charge in providing sustainable, cost-effective, mass-market EV solutions,” Josh Whale, CEO of Ampersand, said.
“BYD’s world-leading battery cells and manufacturing scale, combined with Ampersand’s deep customer insight and technical product knowledge, will help fast-track the electrification of Africa’s commercial motorcycles,” he added.
Sihai Zhang, BYD Company, said, “Ampersand’s electric motorbike technology and charging network, along with its excellent customer understanding, make the company stand out to BYD as the clear pioneer in the electrification of Africa’s transport system.
“Electrifying the intensively used commercial motorcycles found across Africa is a logical first step to decarbonizing a very large potential market of motorcycles across the Global South.”
At the same time as decarbonizing transport, electric two-wheelers clean up the air and save drivers, on average, 45% a year on fuel and maintenance, improving lives and livelihoods and driving entrepreneurship and social mobility.
Rwanda and Kenya have become investors’ first port of call for electric vehicles thanks to the friendly policies initiated by both governments.
Rwanda does not impose import duties on electric cars and motorbikes, and its e-mobility policy also allows companies to set up charging stations rent-free.
In May, Spiro, an Indian electric vehicle company, secured US$50 million from investors to increase production and deployment of electric motorbikes in Rwanda.
Kenya also unveiled the first draft of its National E-mobility Policy in April which supports local battery manufacturing, recycling, and repurposing initiatives.
It also encourages the production of EV components like charging systems. The policies have pushed several investors like BasiGo, Roam, and Ampersand to grow their EV production levels.
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