Tech in Africa
After successfully completing a pilot program, Swedish-Kenyan technology company Opibus and Uber have entered into a strategic partnership to scale electric motorcycles across Africa. Uber’s platform offers services across the continent that help Opibus accelerate its mass adoption of electric vehicles across the continent.
The collaboration with Opibus will simplify the electric motorcycles in Africa. 3,000 electric motorcycles will be supplied in 2022 to meet the demand from Uber drivers. This partnership will further see a scale-up of the startups’ operations in other countries.
Founded in 2017, Opibus motorcycles stand out from its competitors as the country’s first African electric motorcycle which is designed and tailored for use locally, offering a robust frame, dual swappable battery packs, while offering the perfect product-market fit while intent to maximize local content. Opibus has close to 100 employees and is the leading manufacturer of electric vehicles in Africa. The company was recently featured on National Geographic.
Uber intends to make a 100% transition of its platform to electric by 2040. The motorcycle industry is the country’s current employer, directly supporting over 1.2 million youth. Over 16,500 units imported into the country monthly account for the 1.6 million motorcycles currently registered in Kenya.
