Africa’s largest electric motorcycle operator has acquired a British engineering firm as it pushes to design EV bikes specifically for African roads and expand its dominance across the continent’s fast-growing mobility market.
- Africa’s largest electric motorcycle operator has acquired a British engineering firm as it pushes to design EV bikes specifically for...
- Spiro acquired UK-based engineering and design firm Coexlion for an undisclosed sum on May 28, 2026, with plans to establish...
- “This acquisition is an important milestone in Spiro’s long-term strategy to build a truly African mobility platform,” said Gagan Gupta,...
- The team of 28 engineers at Coexlion has contributed to more than 25 motorcycle programs globally, covering electric two-wheelers, chassis...
Keep reading for the full breakdown on Africa mobility — everything you need to know is covered below.
Spiro acquired UK-based engineering and design firm Coexlion for an undisclosed sum on May 28, 2026, with plans to establish its first African research and development centre in Nairobi. The acquisition gives Spiro a direct path to engineering electric motorcycles built specifically for African roads, rather than imported models modified after production.
“This acquisition is an important milestone in Spiro’s long-term strategy to build a truly African mobility platform,” said Gagan Gupta, Founder at Spiro. “Our ambition is not only to manufacture in Africa, but also to progressively own and develop the engineering, design, and product capabilities behind our vehicles.”
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Engineering for African Roads
Coexlion operates out of the United Kingdom and Bangalore, India, and brings deep expertise in EV product development. The firm has worked with global motorcycle brands such as Triumph and Hero, and has direct experience building vehicles for EV-only manufacturers including Ather Energy, Ola, and Arc. Coexlion also holds patents on a modular drive system for electric two-wheelers.
The team of 28 engineers at Coexlion has contributed to more than 25 motorcycle programs globally, covering electric two-wheelers, chassis and frame development, vehicle integration, reliability engineering, battery systems, and industrial design.
Spiro’s bikes are currently assembled from knockdown kits imported from China, with some spare parts sourced from India, at its Nairobi assembly plant, which has an annual production capacity of up to 50,000 electric motorcycles. The Coexlion acquisition directly targets that dependence.
Expanding Africa’s EV Footprint
The company says it has more than 100,000 electric motorcycles on African roads and operates over 2,500 battery-swapping stations across its markets, which span Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Togo and Benin, where most of its motorcycles are used commercially by boda boda taxi riders. In Kenya, its flagship market, Spiro commands over 52% of the country’s EV bike market.
Gupta added: “Coexlion’s engineering depth and experience will strengthen our ability to build products that are adapted to African operating environments, yet affordable in line with our commitment to African riders. Thanks to this strategic acquisition, Spiro will soon open its first African R&D centre in Kenya.”
The addition of Coexlion is expected to accelerate product development cycles, improve localisation of components and vehicle architecture, and support Spiro’s long-term objective of building as much of its technology, design, and manufacturing capability in-house and locally as possible.