NAIROBI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- In the last five months, Yvette Celine Koki, a female electric motorcycle rider, has proved naysayers wrong, navigating the streets of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, with unmatched courage and confidence in a space that is male-dominated.
Koki owns an electric bike that she purchased on installment basis from Roam Electric, an e-mobility company that sources about 60 percent of components by value for its two-wheelers from China.
"I prefer this one because it is cost-friendly and it is eco-friendly as well. In terms of spending, I don't spend a lot on fuel. I spend 700 shillings (about 5.4 U.S. dollars) every day, 900 less now compared to the conventional ones," Koki told Xinhua during a recent interview.
She is among a rapidly growing number of electric bike riders in Kenya who operate in the country's major cities, transporting passengers and goods in a clean, cost-effective and efficient manner.
Koki said that on a daily basis, she rides about 150 kilometers, charging the bike once a day and twice when she covers longer distances.
She charges the battery at home but can hire a battery when hers runs low, so she can keep serving customers.
Koki's daily earnings have improved after switching to electric bikes, enabling her to pay electricity bills, buy food and retain some savings even as she looks forward to additional charging stations around Nairobi.
Kenyan riders are switching to electric two-wheelers, driven by a desire to reduce operational costs and protect the environment, with the availability of key parts like batteries from China easing this transition, said Habib Lukaya, the country manager for Roam Electric.
Established in 2017, the company has kept good connections with Chinese partners to source main components and parts for making electric vehicles and two-wheelers, said Lukaya.
Later on, the company has been able to develop its own components and have them manufactured in China while aligning them with local demand and regulatory standards.
"We design and develop everything here, and then we rely on our partners in China to be able to manufacture these components for us," said Lukaya.
"Through a partnership with the Chinese suppliers, they come here and transfer knowledge and technology to our local suppliers," he added.
Lukaya said Roam Electric has also built a green mobility ecosystem in Kenya, including charging stations and after-sales service, with support from international partners, including United Nations institutions, on feasibility studies and policy development.
He warned that without after-sales support, Kenya could end up having an electric vehicle graveyard.
In its 10,000 square meter assembly plant in Nairobi, Roam Electric is producing 500 electric bikes monthly, and from next year, the company plans to raise the number to 1,000 per month, according to Lukaya.
Currently, about 4,600 electric motorcycles are in operation in Nairobi, fully built and assembled at Roam Electric premises and serving riders locally known as boda boda, delivery workers and ride-hailing operators, said Lukaya.
He added that riders who switch to electric bikes save 40 percent on operating costs.
"So that is a clear indication that having an electric bike is eventually cheaper to operate and saves them money, and for a non-oil-producing country that depends on import of fuel, it also saves money for the country itself," said Lukaya.
"So the drive that we're seeing and the demand is not even driven by us but is driven by the operational requirements. Riders can save more every day," he added.
With 72 percent of the Kenyan population connected to electricity, it has been relatively easier for riders to charge their bikes at home, ensuring the switch to low-carbon mobility is successful, Lukaya added.
Kenya is among African countries that have accelerated the transition to green mobility in the recent past, boosting climate action and pollution reduction, said Alexander Koerner, manager of the Sustainable Mobility Unit at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
He said that UNEP has partnered with Kenyan authorities to develop technical standards and regulations to facilitate rollout of electric buses and two-wheelers, boosting low-carbon mobility.
Koerner stressed that policy and fiscal incentives are very important to make the market for electric vehicles attractive, and that producing vehicles locally creates jobs.
Chinese technology has been very important in boosting electric mobility in Kenya, said Koerner, citing batteries and solar panels manufactured in the Asian nation. ■
