Electric air taxis are coming to Africa

July 16, 2025

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Ethiopian Airlines ushers in a new era of electric mobility 

Africa’s largest carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, will receive two electric air taxis from US-based Archer Aviation in 2026. With a price tag of around $5 million each, these will be the first electric air taxis, commonly known as eVTOLs, to be deployed commercially in Africa. The Archer Midnight eVTOL aircraft has a 161 km range but is optimised for short flights of around 32 km. 

  • eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft are future alternatives to helicopters. Electricity is cheaper than aviation fuel, maintenance is simpler, and insurance costs are potentially lower as the technology matures. 

  • A growing number of African companies are working on eVTOLs to beat traffic in congested cities. Fahari Aviation, a subsidiary of Kenya’s national carrier Kenya Airways, aims to launch eVTOLs in 2028.  

  • Our take: Airlines have the upper hand in deployment of eVTOLs… Read more (2 min)

Two electric SUVs are set to enter the African market soon amid increased demand. Chery, a major Chinese automaker, plans to launch the iCAUR in the first quarter of 2026 in South Africa. The model has both hybrid and fully electric variants. Meanwhile, Dacia, a Romanian brand under the Renault Group, will debut its all-electric Spring SUV in Morocco next week.

  • Egypt, Morocco and South Africa remain top entry points for global OEMs, but rising competition is intensifying as new entrants seek to gain market share and challenge locally assembled EVs.

  • The influx of EV brands and models signals market confidence, particularly in the readiness of charging infrastructure and supportive ecosystems in key countries.

  • Our take: EV car imports may hinder local manufacturing growth but remain the cheaper option for consumers… Read more (2 min)

The average cost of charging an electric vehicle in Kenya increased slightly in July, according to a survey by Mobility Rising. We collect charging data monthly from at least three leading companies each in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria, these being key markets in Africa. The data shows that charging prices in Kenya rose by 0.7% in July compared to an increase of 2% recorded in our June survey. 

  • We track the cost of charging electric cars at major charging stations in each country. Some companies charge per unit of electricity, while others charge per minute. We also track the cost of battery swapping for electric motorcycles, priced per swap.   

  • In both Kenya and Nigeria, power utility prices are adjusted monthly. This leads to fairly frequent changes in charging prices compared to South Africa, where national electricity prices change annually.   

  • Our take: Charging prices will remain stable in Nigeria and South Africa in the near future but volatile in Kenya… Read more (2 min)

Riders attend Spiro’s Uganda bike giveaway launch

Events

🗓️ Register for a webinar on financing in e-mobility (July 18)

🗓️ Book your ticket for Smarter Mobility Africa Summit in South Africa (Oct 1)

🗓️ Attend Tomorrow Mobility World Congress in Spain (Nov 4)

Jobs

🔎 Apply for a quality manager role at Spiro (Nigeria)

⚡ Become a battery swapping attendant at Dodai (Ethiopia)

💼 Join M-Kopa as a Senior Partnerships Product Manager

Various 

📦 EVChaja awarded the official distributor of Smappee in East Africa

🔌 Qoray mobility partners with Sheraton Hotels in erecting charging infrastructure

🥇 M-Kopa named among World’s Top Fintech Companies 2025

Seen on LinkedIn 

Mark Hankins, Renewable Energy Advisor at GET.invest, says, “Car owners should be thinking though, because what Africa looks like in 2050 will be affected by these consumer decisions. Will Africa become a dumping ground of internal combustion technology when other continents are electric?”