Hitting the road

In October 2024, an electric motorcycle called the Roam Air completed a 6 000 km journey from Nairobi to Stellenbosch, using only solar power. The batteries were charged en route using a panel charging system in a support vehicle. The Roam Air is one of several electric vehicles produced by Swedish-Kenyan manufacturer Roam Electric, based in Nairobi. The purpose of the expedition was to prove that renewable energy is viable for long-distance travel – even in remote areas – and that riders can travel easily between rural areas and cities.

Founded in 2017, Roam Electric (formerly known as Opibus) focuses on motorbikes and buses. In 2022, it launched the Roam Rapid, a zero-emissions electric bus, described as ‘a first-of-its-kind public transport system for Nairobi and beyond’. The company has since unveiled Roam Move, a smaller electric bus model for Kenyan commuters, and in partnership with County Bus Service, plans to deploy 200 electric buses across Kenya by 2026.

Roam Electric is just one of a growing number of electric vehicle manufacturers in East Africa, as governments in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda provide incentives to make local manufacturing more appealing and accessible. ‘Rwanda focuses on tax exemptions for EVs, expanding charging networks and electrifying motorcycles and buses; Kenya combines policy reforms, private investments and local assembly to target a 5% EV market share by the end of 2025; and Uganda prioritises government investment and local production, aiming for full EV adoption in public transport by 2040,’ according to ev24.africa.

A wave of start-ups is transforming the region’s transport sector. ‘African start-ups are dominating the space, since they have designed bikes to withstand local road conditions, do not rely on traditional charging infrastructure and offer flexible payment options,’ reports Mordor Intelligence.

Among these, BasiGo, a Kenyan e-mobility company launched in 2021, is making its mark on public transit with its electric buses. The BasiGo K6 bus, which has a 250 km range and capacity for 25 passengers, is designed for Africa’s roads. Through a pay-as-you-drive model, BasiGo makes electric buses accessible to operators, reducing upfront costs. After securing US$10 million in funding last year, BasiGo plans to introduce smaller shuttles for rural routes and grow its fleet to 500 buses by 2028.

Pollution is one of the main reasons for the drive to transform transport in the region. Transport accounts for about 40% of Nairobi’s air pollution and 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Clean Air Fund. A recent report from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership explains that ‘as of 2022, there were an estimated 27 million registered motorcycles in Africa – a 440% increase over the last decade. Crucially, traffic-related air pollution accounts for 25% of global urban air pollution and is linked to higher rates of non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and asthma’. On average, e-bikes emit 75% less total greenhouse gases, and the report’s modelling found that ‘switching to electric boda-bodas in Kampala would reduce PM2.5 [very small/fine air particles] levels by 15%’.

Locally manufactured electric motorcycles are often designed to withstand local conditions and rely on alternative charging infrastructure

Growing investments in solar and wind power and the fact that electric motorcycles are more economical to run than the petrol versions have contributed to the rise in the transition from fuel to electric.

‘The Africa electric vehicle market size is US$0.45 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach US$4.2 billion by 2030, representing a 56.3% CAGR [compound annual growth rate] 2025–2030,’ says Mordor Intelligence. Two-wheelers are a central part of this, with demand for electric motorbikes soaring. A separate report from Mordor estimates the size of Africa’s two-wheeler market at US$9.15 billion in 2025, and predicts it will reach US$11.11 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.97% in 2025–2029.

Moving south, the EV market in South Africa continues to expand, thanks to government incentives, environmental awareness, improved technology, the reduced cost of batteries and corporate sustainability policies. Demand is rising steadily, and inroads have been made, particularly in the passenger vehicle field.

Toyota manufactures the Corolla Cross Hybrid at its Prospecton plant in Durban; Mercedes-Benz produces the C-Class plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) at its East London facility; and as of October 2024, BMW has started producing the X3 30e xDrive PHEV at its Rosslyn plant in Gauteng. In November 2023, Ford announced a ZAR5.2 billion investment in its Silverton manufacturing plant for the production of its first PHEV, the Ford Ranger PHEV, from late 2024. It now produces 200 Ranger PHEVs a day, exporting the locally produced vehicles to markets including New Zealand and Australia.

Two other companies have proved to be pioneers in the EV market in terms of supply and use in the trucking sector. Chinese automaker JAC began the first electric truck operations in South Africa in 2021 with the electric N-series truck, the N55 EV.

E-commerce company Takealot employs 16 JAC trucks in its fleet, which it uses for middle-mile deliveries (collection from hubs to regional centres). It also uses the locally produced MellowVan – a modified electric tricycle – for deliveries. The MellowVan shell is made in Strand, near Cape Town, with the chassis and final assembly completed at its Stellenbosch factory.

While long-distance EV trucking is still in its infancy in South Africa – mostly because of a lack of charging stations along the main routes – Volvo, Scania and Mercedes-Benz have sold electric trucks in the country. In August this year, DHL Supply Chain launched an EV pilot in collaboration with Unilever and Volvo Trucks.

On the public transport front, there has been a clear uptick in supply and demand of electric buses, and this growth is only expected to accelerate in the near future. Mordor predicts the continent’s electric bus market will grow from US$99.41 million in 2025 to US$225.41 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of close to 18%.

Earlier this year, the City of Cape Town announced it will procure 30 fully electric buses from Volvo Bus Southern Africa for its MyCiTi bus service. The bus chassis will be imported, but the bodies will be locally produced, with first deliveries scheduled for 2027.

MAN Bus and Truck SA has developed South Africa’s first fully electric commuter bus, the Lion’s Explorer E, in partnership with its parent company in Germany. The chassis is built at its Pinetown assembly plant, while the body is assembled at its Olifantsfontein plant in Gauteng, using 95% locally sourced components. The Paruk group of companies has signed a letter of intent to buy 100 Lion’s Explorer E electric buses, and MAN Bus and Truck SA CEO Jan Aichinger told Engineering News the company will start production in Pinetown in January next year.

Golden Arrow Bus Services in Cape Town has also partnered with BYD to transition its fleet to electric. The first 20 buses were introduced earlier this year, growing to 60 currently, with plans to increase this to 120 by the end of 2025. Local and provincial governments have recognised the need to transition to EVs, ‘In the public transport sector, the shift to electric vehicles is critical to achieving sustainable mobility for commuters and creating economic opportunities and job creation in various sectors of the province,’ says the Western Cape’s mobility minister, Isaac Sileku.

Engineering News reports that the Tshwane and eThekwini municipalities have also announced electric bus pilot projects in partnership with the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the South African National Energy Development Institute. The University of Johannesburg, meanwhile, also plans to purchase 13 EV buses in the future.

‘By the end of 2024, the cumulative electric bus market in South Africa stood at 156 vehicles, with a market value of ZAR1.1 billion,’ says GreenCape’s 2025 Market Intelligence Report. ‘Based on bus fleet operators who have made public announcements regarding electric bus roll-out plans, electric bus sales are expected to grow by 420 buses between 2025 and 2030, or ZAR2.9 billion. The cumulative market size for the electric bus sector by 2030 is projected at 576 vehicles,’ it reports. So, despite challenges such as a shortage of charging stations, lack of infrastructure in rural areas, growing competition from Chinese manufacturers and electricity supply restraints, Africa’s intent and commitment to moving towards cleaner, more sustainable transport is evident.