Electric motorcycles can kickstart the transition to electric in Sub-Saharan Africa

Driving down a bustling road in some Sub-Saharan African cities, you must catch motorcycle taxis. These two-wheelers, commonly called okadas in West Africa and boda bodas or motos in East Africa, are embedded in the culture of African transportation. 

These motorcycle taxis fill a gap in the transport system. Their ability to navigate the most remote areas is a skill. The nature in which they sail through heavy traffic, which is part of the daily life of many sub-Saharan African cities, makes them conspicuous. 

In East Africa, about 100 million people travel by boda bodas daily. In Nigeria, it is estimated that there are 8 million okada riders, and in Rwanda, at a time, more than half the vehicles on the road are moto-taxis. 

This mode of transportation is not without its vices. They are linked to risky driving and various accidents. In addition, they pollute the air and contribute to climate change. It is common to see three people or more on a motorcycle taxi with no helmet or a motorcycle carrying a large item that looks three times its body weight. 

In most sub-Saharan African countries with heavy use of two-wheelers, more than nine in ten two-wheelers are used for commercial use as taxis or deliveries. These two-wheelers are ridden mainly by young people who use them as a significant source of income. It is famous for commercial use because of its low purchase price for operators and high fuel efficiency. 

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the world's most vulnerable to climate change. The rising temperature, rising sea levels and other changes contribute to food insecurity and affect water resources. 

The region can leapfrog to electric mobility. We have seen such leapfrog activities before when there was a quick spread of mobile phones without an extensive landline infrastructure on the continent. 

Electrifying motorcycles across the region can begin the journey towards decarbonising the transport sector. 

Sub-Saharan Africa has unique challenges in its electric mobility transition. One is the cost of acquiring an electric vehicle and the reliance on used vehicles. In most sub-Saharan African countries, around 85 per cent of all four-wheel vehicle sales are used vehicles due to cost and by, affordability and weak regulation. With EVs being a relatively new technology, there is a limited used EV market. However, this limation could be less of a problem for motorcycles. They mostly buy new and replaced more frequently than other vehicles. 

While an electric two-wheeler has a higher purchase cost, its rider saves money due to fuel and maintenance savings. It is estimated that going electric can double a motorcycle rider's income. 

Another challenge with adopting electric mobility is unreliable energy supply. Innovative energy solutions can be used for electric motorcycles. Their small batteries can be charged via mini-grids, decentralised electricity networks that can function separately from a national grid and can be powered by renewables. Other solutions are Level 1 home charging and battery swaps, replacing used batteries with fully charged batteries in minutes. 

Rwanda is one of the countries leading the way in this space with an ambitious green mobility national plan. Ampersand, a Rwandan startup, offers affordable electric vehicles, charging systems and battery swapping to East Africa's five million motorcycle taxi drivers. Ampersand helps increase motorcyclists' income by 50% per day. 

Although motorcycles in most Sub-Saharan African cities drive longer distances than those in Asia, the growing success of the electric two and three-wheelers in Asia has given a base case for Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Motorcycle taxi startups are expanding in West Africa with backing from investors. Max ng, an electric motorcycle transport platform, is creating an assembly plant for electric motorcycles and tricycles in Ibadan, Nigeria. 

Electric motorcycles do not only offer limited noise pollution and improved rider experience; they have economic benefits. The transition to electric motorcycles would save the Rwandan economy about US $22 million in fuel imports annually.

However, the case for the widespread use of electric motorcycles requires better safety initiatives for commercial motorcycles, such as ensuring riders are following strict driving and traffic laws and using safety gear. Importantly, leapfrogging to electric mobility will require more available and creative financing models and fiscal and non-fiscal initiatives, such as tax breaks, subsidies and availability of land for charging stations.