In a factory outside Kigali, dozens of workers are putting the finishing touches to electric motorcycles that will soon take to the streets of the Rwandan capital. The bikes, built by startup Ampersand, are destined mainly for motorcycle taxi operators and delivery drivers, who can make significant savings by using battery-powered vehicles rather than paying for petrol or diesel.
Alp Tilev, co-founder and chief technical offer at Ampersand, says that the company wants to carry out as much manufacturing "as feasibly possible" in Rwanda. "We're creating an ecosystem here - and you just can't create an ecosystem if everything is just being brought in and sold," he says. "The value chain needs to develop locally if we are to stay ahead."
Ampersand is one of several companies seeking to kickstart the nascent market for electric vehicles in Africa. Production volumes remain small - electric two-wheelers are beginning to take-off in only a few parts of the continent, including Kigali and Nairobi. Electric buses are also being deployed in several cities, though a significant market for four-wheel cars is widely thought to remain several years away.
Electric vehicles EVs are often promoted for their environmental benefits, given that they cut carbon emissions and other forms of air pollution from exhaust fumes. The financial gains for some types of road user can also be considerable in the right circumstances. And in a November 2022 report, the Energy for Growth Hub think-tank emphasised an often-overlooked benefit for Africa the potential to create jobs through EV production.
This potential has been highlighted through a flurry of recent announcements of investment in manufacturing facilities.
