By Mark Kawalya
STIMA, a firm renowned for its mobility battery swapping technology, has partnered with OneElectric, the leading electric motorcycle manufacturer in India, to introduce 3,000 electric motorcycles in Kenya.
The roll out will then expand to other African countries running under a similar model. The partnership combines the strength of OneElectric’s robust electric motorcycles with STIMA’s instant battery recharge infrastructure that can be scaled. OneElectric has so far supplied 30 motorcycles that are going to be introduced into the Kenya market in a few weeks.
The joint venture will enable the two companies to leverage the most scalable model of electric two-wheel mobility that is suitable for African markets. These are characterized by rough terrain, high sensitivity to high prices, and intensive daily usage of up to 300 km, necessitating a high-performance, durable motorcycle.
According to Jason Gras, the Co-Founder and CEO of STIMA” The partnership with OneElectric takes advantage of their high-quality and very strong electric motorcycles and enables STIMA to bring its battery swapping technology and innovative software services to the Kenyan market on a national scale. The partnership fits completely into our vision for the future of mobility in Africa: electric and technology-driven to keep cities on the move and protect the environment.”
One Electric CEO, Gaurav Uppal, says, “After working in the African market for more than a year, testing products with STIMA in Nairobi, evaluating the local conditions and riding habits, we were able to produce a motorcycle that can meet Africa’s demand. Heavy duty chassis, long lasting and durable suspension, metal body, high power motor and long-life battery packs are well suited for delivering a long life for these bikes.”
STIMA puts an estimate of about 20 million motorcycles in Africa today, with a large percentage of them being two-wheeled taxis and delivery riders that would immensely benefit from lower costs by going electric.
By doing the same amount of work, they currently do, riders will earn more. STIMA has eliminated three barriers for the adoption of electric 2-wheeler transportation in Nairobi using their battery swapping stations. These being long charging times, high upfront battery purchase costs, and range anxiety.
