Andrii Volokha, General Manager for East Africa at Watu, reiterated that there is a need for public and private sector stakeholders to continue investing in charging infrastructure to address range anxiety.
He added that following the pilot phase in Nairobi, the company has plans to expand the charging infrastructure to other major towns and cities in the country. Watu, he said has supported about 100 bodaboda operators to acquire electric motorcycles in Kenya and 1,000 in Uganda.
“Other than providing access to financing for fuel-powered bikes, we are also encouraging riders to take up electric bikes. Electric bikes are a good option for riders because they provide up to 50 percent more profit to riders, who are saving more from operational costs. Battery swapping costs are more affordable than fuel prices and need less maintenance,” he said.
The launch of a new battery swap station in Nairobi by Watu marks a great stride in the adoption of clean energy. This call has been echoed globally following an emphasis during the world climate summit in Dubai where parties in COP28 agreed on working towards an end of fossil fuels use to reduce the severity of eventualities caused by climate change crises.ARC Ride has established a network of automated battery swap stations across Nairobi, enabling riders to save valuable working hours that would otherwise be spent on charging. Currently, there are around 80 operational swap stations in the city. “E-bikes are quite efficient, safe, and not affected by weather, including the rainy season.
There are already 80 battery swap stations set up in Nairobi,” said James Waweru, Sales Manager at ARC Ride during the launch event. Watu has a financing model that allows boda boda operators to acquire electric motorcycles for as low as Ksh 450 daily.
