Accelerating Kenya’s e-mobility with smart, sustainable batteries

Challenge

Kenya generates 92% of its electricity from renewable sources, yet 70% of it remains unused at night. Meanwhile, Nairobi struggles with poor air quality, driven mostly by road transport, waste management issues and biomass fuel burning. The rise in two-wheelers is exacerbating the situation, intensifying both pollution and climate impacts. Moreover, motorcycle riders—especially those working as taxi and delivery drivers—are heavily impacted by rising fuel costs.

Kenya has significant market potential for electric bikes, with numbers rising sharply over the past two years, projected to reach nearly 5% of the fleet in 2025. However, the high acquisition cost and the lack of battery health monitoring remain key obstacles to mass adoption.

Innovative solution

Two Belgian startups, Jump and MadewithLove, have teamed up to create a fully electric ecosystem with swappable batteries that meet the highest standards of quality and performance. Their innovation focuses on advanced battery health monitoring and real-time data collection to predict and prevent battery degradation, allowing for smarter charging and usage.

The Belgian team is partnering with two Kenyan companies: Zephyr Wheels, a local motorbike manufacturer, and SafeBoda, a popular mototaxi platform. Their shared goal is to launch a pilot project in Kenya with a fleet of 40 electric motorbikes, testing the business model, proving the solution’s viability, and attracting investors for future scaling. In the long run, the goal is to expand this technology across other countries in the region where electric two-wheelers are on the rise.

Impact

At the end of the pilot, in 2026:

• Installation of 3 charging stations for 66 batteries in operation
• Support for the transition of 33 moto-taxis from petrol to electric mobility
• Reduction of CO2 emissions by 37.8 tons