Non-Chinese Asian presence in Africa is accelerating

June 29, 2025

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Filipino motor vehicle manufacturer Francisco Motors Corporation (FMC) has signed a deal to supply electric minibuses and hydrogen-powered tricycles to Nigerian firm Space AI Nigeria. FMC will supply two main electric minibus models: a 15-seater mini-van tailored for corporate transport and a larger 30-seater vehicle intended for local public transit. 

  • At home, FMC sells the minibuses at about $17,400, mainly targeting the low-end market. This is less than a third of the $53,100 average price for other electric minibuses.  

  • Chinese EV firms such as BYD, Yutong, Dongfeng and Xpeng have flooded the African market in recent years with cut-price EVs. However, manufacturers from other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines are also eyeing the rapidly growing market. 

  • Our take: Good idea to reduce Africa’s dependence on EVs from China… Read more (2 min)

COBCO, a joint venture between Moroccan investment fund Al Mada and Chinese battery materials producer CNGR Advanced Materials, has begun production of lithium-ion battery components in Morocco. In the first phase, the $2 billion plant is producing precursor cathode active materials (pCAM), specifically nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC).

  • COBCO is the first company in Africa to make NMC battery materials and is mainly targeting Europe’s battery industry. It has already secured a supply agreement with Belgian-French multinational Umicore. 

  • The COBCO factory represents a significant step up in Morocco's ambition to become a hub for EV batteries. It could also stimulate battery manufacturing in the broader region. 

  • Our take: Morocco looks set to transition to making EVs faster than everyone else… Read more (2 min)

E-mobility data across Africa is largely inaccessible, says Bob Wesonga, a research and operations associate at the Africa E-Mobility Alliance, in an interview with Mobility Rising. Charging and battery swapping infrastructure data is the hardest to obtain, as it depends on voluntary disclosure by private companies, often withheld due to trade secrecy.  

  • The biggest barrier is companies’ reluctance to share proprietary information, fearing it could weaken their market position. Mr Wesonga highlights South Africa as a model for transparent infrastructure data sharing.

  • He also stresses the need for reliable and harmonised data systems among government agencies.  

  • Read our full discussion here… (3 min)

Spiro’s West Africa director, Rahul Gaur (right), meets Fembol Group director

Events

🗓️ Register for youth employability in e-mobility sector webinar (July 3)

🗓️ Attend Namibia’s Urban Mobility Conference (July 10)

🗓️ Register for Battery Metals Forum in DR Congo (Sept 29)

Jobs

💼 Join Shift EV’s business development team (Egypt)

👩🏻‍💻 Lead data engineering at MAX (Nigeria)

📊 Become an accountant at Kabisa (Rwanda)

Various

📝 Read about linking e-mobility innovation with Indigenous knowledge

🛠️ China’s GAC considering setting up EV assembly plant in Ghana

🆕 Alpha eMobility launches in Kenya

Seen on LinkedIn 

Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition John Abdulai Jinapor, during the launch of a solar-powered charging station on Friday, said, “I endorse this project, your actions are deeply aligned with sustainable development goals, charging with solar is charging clean.”