Your next electric three-wheeler might be Canadian

August 27, 2025

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Alpha E-Mobility, a Canadian company, has launched its electric three-wheelers in Kenya. It introduced passenger, cargo and ambulance three-wheelers. The vehicles are being assembled at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM) factory in Thika, with a target to make 3,000 units in 2026. The company is also in Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia and Egypt. 

  • There are more than 200,000 three-wheelers in Kenya, but the vast majority run on fuel. EV companies are looking to disrupt this market with electric options.

  • The price of an electric three-wheeler in Kenya is about $9,300, more than double the cost of fuel vehicle. This is the main challenge for customers. 

  • Our take: Despite the many advantages that electric three-wheelers offer customers, price gap must narrow… Read more (2 min)

Mauritius rolls out first fleet of e-buses

Mauritius has received its first batch of electric buses from India-based Switch Mobility under a government-to-government agreement. The delivery includes 10 of the planned 100 Switch EiV12 electric buses. This marks the company’s first entry in the growing African market. The bus operations will be handled by the state-owned National Transport Corporation (NTC).

  • Switch Mobility produces about 3,000 e-buses annually, far fewer than competitor Golden Dragon (40,000). Chinese auto-giant BYD is also ramping up bus production and eyeing the African market.

  • Mauritius operates over 2,000 buses to transport 600,000 daily commuters. Potential is there and could help cut costs for bus operators. 

  • Our take: Given NTC’s proven efficiency, the government should lead Mauritius’ public transport electrification.… Read more (2 min)

Companies assembling electric two-wheelers in Uganda will be exempt from paying import duties and value-added tax (VAT) on parts and components required for their operations, Mobility Rising’s Policy Tracker, published monthly, shows. This move is intended to reduce Uganda’s dependence on fuel-powered motorcycles and promote cleaner alternatives. 

  • This was the main policy change in our latest monthly Policy Tracker, which follows the trail of policy announcements across Africa. It shows positive as well as negative impact on the EV industry. 

  • Uganda is becoming a hub for electric two-wheeler assembly, boosted by its ready market of more than a million motorcycle riders.  

  • Our take: African EV companies could be more vocal in advocating for policies that will benefit the industry… Read more (2 min)

Tatenda Mungofa, Executive Chairman of Mureza Group, poses against Geely’s Riddara RD6 in Zimbabwe

Events

📅 Attend the GITEX Expo in Nigeria (Sept 1)

📅 Register for Uganda E-Mobility Expo (Sept 18)

📅 Join industry experts at the Battery Metals Forum in DRC (Sept 29)

Jobs

👩🏻‍💻 Become an IT Support Contractor at BasiGo (Kenya)

💼 Join Ampersand as an Associate Product Manager - Software (Rwanda)

🛵 Apply for Direct Sales Manager’s role at Dodai (Ethiopia)

Various 

🏅 Apply to be ranked among top 50 African mobility companies

🏆 Karaa Africa among top 10 finalists for Startup World Cup Uganda

📈 E-Safiri announces 1148% increase in their operating revenue in the past year

Seen on LinkedIn 

Geofrey Mutabazi, Founder of Karaa Africa, says, “Too many grants can dull commercial drive, too much debt too early can stall growth, and equity too soon can push premature commercialization. Using the right instrument for the right purpose is key—debt to finance proven growth, grants to test new segments, and equity once fundamentals are ready to scale.”