Why Western Nations Should Care About Africa’s E-Transport Endeavors

Global tension has not been this high in decades—the result of regional conflicts and Donald Trump’s enactment of international tariffs. The noise has drowned out Africa’s challenges, which center on job creation and climate change.

Africa offers a glimmer of hope for both its people and the most advanced nations. Several African countries are taking a bold approach to electric vehicle adoption, skipping the traditional automotive infrastructure and going straight to more sustainable models. The development is crucial as countries replace dirtier, older cars with newer, cleaner alternatives.

Countries can start small and scale up. In the case of Africa, electrifying the transport sector has begun with two-wheelers—the first step to getting countries promote all-electric cars. Indeed, motorbikes have made a big impression on many African countries. While the bikes require customers to make an upfront investment, they pay for themselves through time saved, lower energy costs, and competitive financing. To be exact, the e-bikes replace gasoline-fueled bikes and long, crowded trips on minivans.

“When the driver moves from gasoline to electric transport, their operating costs are reduced by 20%,” says Yuma Sasaki, founder of Ethiopia-based Dodai, which provides e-mobility access. “It’s the same ratio if the driver moves from a gasoline-fueled scooter to an electric bike. This shift is happening. In Ethiopia, the government has banned fuel imports. Electricity is, therefore, cheaper. That’s why there are now 150,000 EVs on Ethiopia’s roads; there are 1.2 million cars in all.”

Ethiopia is uncommon because hydropower makes up 95% of its electricity. That means the charging is totally clean, unlike other countries where fossil fuels provide the electricity to power EVs. Poor air quality is a major issue in Ethiopia. The government is trying to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and build more green stuff, but Sasaki told me in a Zoom call that people are actually getting behind it because it makes financial sense.

These e-bikes can go 70 kilometers on a single charge, and Dodai will swap out the batteries. They cost around $1,800 with batteries. So far, they’ve sold about 850 of these e-bikes, and they’re hoping to sell 5,000 more by the end of the year. They’re especially targeting gig-economy workers like delivery drivers.

“While the United States and Europe prioritize climate change, Ethiopian citizens need the most economic solution to survive,” says Sasaki, who founded Dodai in 2022. “That happens to be e-mobility.”

It’s A Continent-Wide Movement

The same trend is happening throughout the continent, including Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, and Uganda. For example, Kenya has recently enacted an EV policy, designed to help replace old cars and bikes that run on gas. The government wants 5% of all new cars to be electric this year.

That’s according to Kaushik Burman, the chief executive of Spiro, an African electric vehicle company that provides e-mobility throughout the continent. It has a manufacturing facility in Nairobi, Kenya. He explained to me that the African shift to e-motorbikes will ripple internationally. If local Africans have access to clean and reliable transportation, they can unlock greater educational and economic opportunities.

It also draws in investors, whether they’re interested in energy, businesses, or infrastructure. As expected, e-mobility has the potential to upgrade African economies, offering sustainable development, 21st Century jobs, and less reliance on fossil fuels.

Trump may not think globally, but he’s keenly interested in economic opportunities that can bring in profits and jobs. Reducing emissions isn’t really on his mind unless there’s some money involved. But here’s the thing: they’re actually linked together. The key is to see Africa as a place to invest in agriculture, infrastructure, medicine, technology, manufacturing, and energy. If that happens, it will create positive economic and environmental results.

Multinational corporations are now focusing on the well-being of their communities and employees, not just their shareholders. This approach is called the “triple bottom line,” which considers the environment, people, and profits. Ignoring this can hurt a company’s reputation. Companies like Cisco, Oracle, and IBM lead the way in sustainability, especially in Africa.

“We are trying to achieve a complete transformation of the EV sector,” says Burman. “Almost every African government is importing fossil fuels, which has a secondary impact on health. Technology is the great equalizer; irrespective of the existing baggage and legacy, we can leapfrog to the future. We are also hiring local talent, which is having a high social impact.”

Since its inception in 2019, Spiro has sold 30,000 e-bikes. The package includes battery swaps, which allows customers to exchange their fully discharged batteries for fully charged ones. To date, the company has completed 17 million battery exchanges, which has helped prevent 35,000 tons of CO2 emissions. Spiro is replacing gasoline-fueled bikes—investments that pay for themselves within 18 months. The company plans to build manufacturing facilities in more countries and expand into a dozen African markets by the end of the year.

Africa’s electrification is super important—it could power homes, businesses, and transportation. Imagine if e-motorbikes became the norm on the continent. People would have a cheap and easy way to get to work or school, which might encourage international companies to fund new clean energy endeavors. If Africa does well, the whole world benefits—whether it is by meeting global climate targets or creating new economic partnerships.

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