Chinese EV Maker BYD and Africa’s EV energy tech company, Ampersand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the decarbonisation of Africa’s commercial motorbike transport system.
Details
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, with the long-term goal of electrifying a large portion of Africa’s 30 million commercial motorbikes.
The partnership with BYD will enable Ampersand to rapidly scale its electric fleet and its 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, providing a sustainable solution to support the continent’s economic growth.
What They’re Saying
Josh Whale, CEO of Ampersand, said: “This partnership marks a major milestone for Ampersand as we continue to lead the charge in providing sustainable, cost effective, mass-market EV solutions.
“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.
“Switching the millions of taxi and delivery two-wheelers to EV energy tech represents one of the world’s best value-for-money decarbonisation opportunities. At the same time, this transformation will save millions of hardworking motorcycle riders six hundred dollars each a year, driving clean economic prosperity.”
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 decarbonising a very large potential market of motorcycles across the Global South.”
Catch up on news and other tidbits on our WhatsApp Community Page, Twitter/X, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any news.
