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Indian firms eye Africa’s electric motorcycles market

July 14, 2025

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PlugNride Motors, an Indian EV company, has engineered its first electric motorcycle specifically for the continent. The bike was launched last week at the Nigerian embassy in New Delhi ahead of its scaling to the rest of Africa. Called the APKE PNR–100, it features a rugged design, high load capacity, and enhanced battery performance.

  • India is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electric motorcycles and is a major source of motorcycles imported by Africa, often at a lower cost than those made locally.  

  • Nigeria is one of Africa’s leading motorcycle markets. PlugNride is using the West African country as a launchpad into other markets.  

  • Our take: PlugNride will want to go to countries with strong local distribution networks. … Read more (2 min)

Cape Town, South Africa’s second largest city, is set to procure 30 electric buses from Volvo Bus Southern Africa for its bus rapid transit (BRT) service. The first buses are scheduled for delivery in 2027. They will be assembled locally, with only the Volvo BZRLE bus chassis imported. The city has also placed a separate tender for the installation of charging infrastructure. 

  • South Africa has one of the most robust BRT systems in Africa, along with Nigeria, Tanzania, Morocco, Ghana, and Senegal. Meanwhile, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Egypt are developing or expanding BRT infrastructure.  

  • African countries are turning to electric buses to make their mass transport not only cleaner but also cheaper. BRTs are mainly run by national or regional governments, allowing for a fast leap to electric fleets. 

  • Our take: Africa’s transition to electric buses needs a decline in prices… Read more (2 min)

Average EV prices in four of Africa’s largest markets have remained mostly stable this month, according to data collected by Mobility Rising. In Kenya, prices only changed for the Spiro Ekon 450 M1 motorbike and the Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric car. While some models, including the VW ID.6, saw price fluctuations across the continent, BYD prices remained unchanged throughout.

  • Mobility Rising monitors popular EV price trends across Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa on a monthly basis, focusing on both electric motorcycles and electric cars. 

  • Egypt and South Africa are emerging as key entry points for EV manufacturers. Competition in these markets is strong, and this will impact prices over time.

  • Our take: Imported EVs across Africa face multiple layers of taxation… Read more (2 min)

Flone Initiative team gets ready for the first pilot of women in e-mobility mentorship program  

Events

🗓️ Attend AIDC’s Total Productive Maintenance webinar (July 15)

🗓️ Register for AIDC EV Summit in South Africa (July 17)

🗓️ Schedule for Africa E-mobility Week in Ethiopia (Oct 14)

Jobs

📈 Become a sales and performance analyst at Zembo (Uganda)

👨🏻‍💼 Join Ampersand as a Senior Engineering Manager (Rwanda)

💼 Apply for the Finance Consultant role at Proxy E-Mobility (Senegal)

Various 

🛠️ TankVolt begins electric motorcycle assembly in Kenya

⚡ Malawi plugs into EV technology 

📋 Read how EVs are rising in Africa amid charging hurdles

Seen on LinkedIn 

Bob Wesonga, Research and Operations at AfEMA, says, “E-mobility data across Africa is largely inaccessible. Most African countries do not actively collect EV-related data, and when they do, it's usually limited to vehicle registration at the import stage.”