Ampersand, Africa’s first and leading integrated electric motorcycle and transport energy solution provider startup, currently has over 1,000 commercial-use electric motorcycles on Rwandan and Kenyan roads.
The Kigali-based electric motorcycle firm offers more than any other electric motorcycle company in Africa, with a goal of 3,000 by the end of 2023.
It has developed from a small bootstrapped R&D garage project to Africa’s top electric vehicle company, employing over 200 people throughout Rwanda, Kenya, and Germany.
“Our team is incredibly proud of this accomplishment,” stated Alp Tilev, Ampersand’s co-founder and CTO. “The community has embraced our e-motos as a dependable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective mode of transportation.” We are increasing the local production of our battery packs to satisfy rising customer demand for our e-motos and will continue to develop to provide a more sustainable public transport alternative for East Africans.”
Four years ago, Ampersand introduced its first electric motorcycles and battery swap stations. Currently, the firm operates a network of 25 battery-change stations across Kenya and Rwanda, allowing riders to switch out drained batteries for fully charged ones in less than two minutes.
Ampersand only works with professional delivery and taxi motorcycle drivers, who make 50% more than petrol bike drivers owing to fuel and maintenance savings, all while lowering harmful carbon emissions.
According to Ampersand, it is focused on delivering the future gasoline network and collaborating with a number of motorcycle manufacturers to provide services to this market. Its success, according to the firm, is owed in part to its concentration on R&D from the start since it is the only company in Africa to commercially design and manufacture battery packs for motorcycles on the ground, generating green jobs.
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Electric vehicle adoption reduced air and sound pollution
Ampersand riders currently pay less per mile than on fuel-powered bikes or any other electric motorcycle on the market because of the combination of its dependable, smart battery pack, low-cost switch stations, and battery fleet software backend.
Transport is one of the most significant contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable mobility for all is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which means that sustainable transport is critical to attaining the objective of reducing global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels by 2050.
Aside from lowering emissions, electrification also reduces air and sound pollution, saves money for African economies, passengers, and commuters, and creates a more robust transport system that is less dependent on fluctuating energy markets.
“We believe that e-mobility is the future of transport in Africa, and we are committed to making it as accessible to as many people as possible,” said Josh Whale, Ampersand’s co-founder and CEO.
“Our collaborations with fuel network operators such as Total Energies and SP have also been critical to our success, allowing us to expand our network and reach new customers while also laying the groundwork for a low-carbon future for the continent’s existing transport energy infrastructure.” Smart EV regulations in East Africa, particularly in Rwanda and, shortly, Kenya, have created a favourable climate for our expansion. We look forward to growing the number of e-motorcycles and contributing to the development of more sustainable public transport systems for future generations.”
What to know about Ampersand
The startup offers East Africa’s five million taxi motorcyclists with a commercial electric motorcycle that is less expensive from the start, gives a better overall user experience, and needs less consumer behaviour modification.
Using locally adapted technology and a viable business model to attain scale, our cars give a higher driving performance, emit 75% less carbon than petrol motorcycles with zero tailpipe emissions, and return over $500 to drivers’ pockets.
Ampersand debuted 20 e-motos in May 2019, ushering in a new era in African transportation. Since then, it has placed hundreds of e-motos on the road, and they are now commercially operational, transporting people and products across Kigali and Nairobi.