The Opibus motorcycle
Opibus and Uber have announced a strategic partnership to scale the use of electric motorcycles in Africa.
Uber’s platform offers mobility services across the continent. Opibus is a Swedish-Kenyan technology company that designs and develops electric vehicles (EVs) tailored for Africa.
The goal of Uber’s collaboration with Opibus is to simplify the deployment of electric motorcycles across Africa.
This follows an agreement between the two parties where Opibus will supply 3 000 electric motorcycles this year to meet demand from Uber drivers in Kenya.
Opibus describes its motorcycle as the first African electric motorcycle, noting that it is fully designed and tailored for local use, “with a robust frame and dual swappable battery packs providing a perfect product-market fit, intended to maximise local content”.
The partnership should mean that more Uber drivers can deliver their services using zero-carbon emission motorcycles.
This follows a larger shift within the Uber business to switch to electric and become a zero-emission platform by 2040.
In Kenya, the motorcycle industry is the single largest employer in the country, estimated to provide work to more than 1.2-million young people.
The sector has more than 1.6-million motorcycles registered in the country, growing by an average of 16 500 imported units a month.
It is estimated that 85 092 t of carbon dioxide emissions will be saved yearly if 50% of annual motorcycle sales were to be electric.
According to Opibus, the reduced maintenance and operating cost when using an electric motorcycle can lead to a cost reduction of more than 60% in comparison with a traditional internal combustion engine motorcycle.
The transition is furthermore incentivised by high import tax and fuel prices that have increased by 25% last year.
Opibus aims to offer its motorcycle for the same price as a fossil-fuel equivalent.