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Government pressure for localisation shows early results

July 21, 2025

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Nigerian EV startup Saglev Electromobility and China’s Dongfeng Motor Corporation have unveiled an off-road luxury electric SUV assembled in Nigeria. The vehicle has a range of 450 km and an 800 kW electric motor. Saglev assembles 16 electric car and bus models targeting various business segments, including mass transit, ride-hailing and passenger cars. 

  • Demand for electric vehicles is growing in Africa, and African EV firms are partnering with foreign firms, mainly Chinese, to access cutting-edge technology, components and technical expertise to assemble EVs locally.  

  • This is partly driven by African governments, who are increasingly demanding higher proportions of components used in vehicle manufacturing be sourced locally. 

  • Our take: Rapid scaling is key if Africa is to become a serious player in global EV assembly… Read more (2 min)

Global carmaker Stellantis has announced plans to boost electric vehicle production at its Kenitra factory in Morocco from 20,000 to 70,000 units for models such as the Citroën Ami, Opel Rocks-e, and Fiat Topolino. The expansion will also add a new annual capacity of 65,000 electric three-wheelers (Fiat Tris). The project is supported by a $1.4 billion investment.

  • The rising demand for EVs in European Union (EU) countries is one of the main reasons for boosting production. Morocco has overtaken China and Japan to become the top car exporter to the EU.

  • Stellantis’s partnership with the Moroccan government is an example of public-private cooperation driving growth. The country aims to produce more than 107,000 EVs by the end of this year.

  • Our take: Morocco’s move into EV charger production could ease Africa’s charging infrastructure gap… Read more (2 min)

Electric motorcycle company Ampersand has increased its employee count by 72 in the past 12 months, according to analysis of LinkedIn data by Mobility Rising. The company has 230 workers with profiles on the platform, an increase of 31% from a year earlier. This comes as the company, which operates in Rwanda and Kenya, seeks to expand to new markets. 

  • Ampersand’s employee growth is the third largest in the sector in the past year, only coming behind US-based Tesla, which added at least 918 individuals to its Africa workforce and electric motorcycle firm Spiro, which expanded by at least 206 during the period. 

  • Founded in 2016, Ampersand builds electric motorcycles, now branded Alpha, and operates an integrated battery‑swap and energy management network across East Africa.  

  • Our take: Ampersand’s hiring spree suggests it is gearing up for scale, but attracting specialized talent and securing new funding will be key… Read more (2 min)

Union Boda's team visits TankVolt showroom in Uganda

 

Events

📅 Register for Transformative Transport Conference (Aug 13) 

📅 Attend Tanzania’s Auto Expo (Nov 5)

📅 Plan for Africa EV Mobility Expo in Kenya (Dec 4)

Jobs

💼 Become a Factory Manager at Rubicon (South Africa)

📊 Apply for Inventory and Cost Accountant role at BasiGo (Kenya)

👨🏻‍💼 Manage direct sales at Dodai (Ethiopia)

Various 

🤝 Qoray partners with TotalEnergies to boost EV adoption in Nigeria

🔋 Swansea University develops sodium-ion batteries for African e-mobility

⛵ Nigeria to host electric powerboat E1 Championship 

Seen on LinkedIn 

Hans Van Toor, Head of Strategy and Innovation at Roam, says, “Chinese suppliers support swapping, as it means they can offset a lot of goods, but in the end the boda riders pay the price. Due to this higher cost, some swapping companies are forced to compromise on quality.”