- The partnership was reached during the ongoing Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi.
- Spiro will introduce an additional 3,000 battery charging and swapping stations, enhancing the country’s electric vehicle infrastructure.
Kenya has partnered with Spiro, an electric motorcycle manufacturer, to deploy over one million electric vehicles. The agreement was reached during the ongoing Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi and hopes to provide sustainable transportation through renewable energy.
Since its establishment about a year ago, Spiro has rapidly penetrated the African e-mobility market with a presence in Benin, Togo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The company has introduced nearly 10,000 electric motorcycles. Spiro will introduce an additional 3,000 battery charging and swapping stations, enhancing the country’s electric vehicle infrastructure, as part of the agreement with Kenya.
The Chief Executive Officer of Spiro, Jules Samain, said, “Spiro is privileged to spearhead Kenya’s transformative shift towards environmental conservation. Our mutual vision of tackling the climate crisis, promoting public health, and enhancing the profitability of motorcycles (boda bodas) propels this collaboration. Given the escalating fuel prices, shifting to EVs is an environmental and economic necessity. Spiro’s electric bikes have already showcased their profitability for boda bodas, amplifying daily earnings substantially.”
The President of Kenya and convener of the summit, William Ruto, reiterated Kenya’s commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions and adopting low-carbon and efficient transportation systems. “We are committed to enhancing our climate action by adopting low-carbon and efficient transportation systems through the application of innovations, including clean, efficient, and sustainable energy technologies,” he said.
In a video shared on his social media platforms, Ruto, who had promised to roll out electric boda bodas in Kenya from September 1 as part of the government’s efforts to invest in clean and renewable energy, led by example. He added that the adoption of electric mobility is a high-priority intervention to address the challenges of pollution, adverse health effects, and fuel costs.