January 28, 2025

MOPO secures $7M for Africa expansion

January 29, 2025

Pay-per-use battery service provider MOPO has secured $7 million (£5.6 million) financing from British International Investment (BII) to expand its services in Africa. The British company provides batteries for use at home, business and in EVs. MOPO currently operates in Nigeria, DRC, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Chad & Uganda.

  • MOPO offers two types of battery rentals: the compact MOPO50 which are used for lighting, phone charging, and powering DC appliances, and the larger MOPOMax, designed to power larger 230V appliances, replacing petrol generators or serve as a battery swap solution for electric motorcycles.

  • Customers rent, return and replace these MOPO batteries on a pay-per-use basis at MOPO’s solar-powered hubs, which are managed by local agents.

  • Our take: Access to electricity in Africa remains low compared to the global average. Innovative models such as pay-per-use battery service can facilitate access to electricity and fast-track adoption of electric vehicles… Read more (2 min)

Kenyan e-motorcycles market records 98% CAGR

Kenya's EV market witnessed a CAGR of 98% and 77% for electric two-wheelers (E2Ws) and electric three-wheelers (E3Ws), respectively, between 2018 and 2023, according to a report released by Mideva Labs. E-motorcycles dominate the EV market with an approximate share of 53%, followed by e-bicycles at 43% and E3Ws at 4%.

  • While the CAGR of E2Ws and E3Ws is rising, the CAGR of internal combustion engine (ICE) two- and three-wheelers is declining. For instance, between 2018 and 2023, the CAGR of ICE motorcycles stood at -18

  • According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), EV sales in the 2022–2023 financial year grew by 108%, accounting for 8.3% of the market share for new vehicle sales. These figures indicate an impressive rate of EV adoption in Kenya.

  • Our Take: The Kenyan EV market is thriving, but the lack of standardisation and fragmented data could hinder its growth… Read more (2

Nigerian oil company Oando Plc has partnered with Lagos State Government to roll out 5,000 e-buses in the city for public transportation. This is part of the company’s project to deploy 12,000 e-buses in Lagos by 2030. In 2022, the company partnered with Chinese EV maker Yutong Bus Co Limited to make the buses.

  • Like Oando, many oil companies in Africa and beyond are investing significantly in electric mobility. These investments are being directed toward EV manufacturing, establishing charging stations and creating battery facilities.

  • The investments by oil companies in EVs are primarily to diversify their business portfolio. This trend is coming at a time when demand for EVs and related services such as charging infrastructure is growing.

  • Our take: Private sector investment in public electric transportation is pivotal in the adoption of e-mobility. This supplements the efforts being put in by African governments in switching from fuel vehicles… Read more (2 min)

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Waste Association of South Africa delivers E3Ws to their waste management partners

Events

 🗓️ Algeria hosts Equip Auto Expo (Feb 17)

🗓️ Watch a webinar on the electric future of constructiontion machines by IDTechEx

🗓️ Cape Town hosts Africa Energy Indaba (Mar 4)

Jobs

👩🏻‍💻 BasiGo seeks a senior full-stack developer (Kenya)

🔋 Kofa seeks a battery network optimization manager (Ghana)

📋 Max seeks an inventory officer (Nigeria)

Various 

🛵 BluEV officially launches its operations in Egypt

📚 Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative to introduce a new course on sustainable public transport

🚗 Insights on Nairobi to Namaga road trip using Skyworth’s electric SUV

Seen on LinkedIn 

Ghenzini Arigor, climate finance lead at Clean Tech Hub Nigeria, highlights the key steps that West Africa needs to take to achieve economies of scale in electric mobility.

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