Electric mobilityActive

Ampersand e-moto battery-swap network

Founded in 2019, Ampersand builds electric motorcycles assembled in Africa and operates a battery-swap network so that riders, mostly motorcycle-taxi drivers, lease charged batteries from swap stations rather than own them outright, avoiding charging downtime.

Kigali, Rwanda (network also extends into Kenya)Electric motorcycle battery-swap networkNone
Image credit
Kigali city centre, December 2016. Historical city context; Ampersand motorcycles or swap stations are not identified.Location context · ITU Regional Development Forum for Africa · CC BY 2.0 · 2016 · Resized; display cropImage source ↗Licence ↗
OperatorAmpersand
EcosystemElectric motorcycle battery-swap network
StandardNone
StatusActive
LocationKigali, Rwanda (network also extends into Kenya)
Overview

Inside the project

The company states this creates over 170 local assembly jobs and roughly a 40% income increase for drivers through lower fuel and maintenance costs, alongside an over-80% cut in greenhouse-gas emissions relative to petrol motorcycles.

Its network is centred on Kigali, Rwanda, and has since extended into Kenya.

170+
Local assembly jobs
40%
Reported driver income increase
80%+
GHG reduction vs petrol motorcycles

Objectives

  • Build electric motorcycles assembled in Africa
  • Operate a battery-swap network avoiding rider battery ownership and charging downtime
  • Raise motorcycle-taxi driver incomes and cut fuel and maintenance costs

Approach

  • Motorcycle owners lease batteries rather than own them, swapping depleted batteries for charged ones at network stations.

Sources

Inspect 2 sources
  1. infrahub.africa ↗https://www.infrahub.africa/case-studies/ampersand-e-bikes
  2. ev24.africa ↗https://www.ev24.africa/ampersand-scales-e-moto-battery-swap-stations-in-rwanda-and-kenya/

Documented by one public source so far.

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