A Kenyan startup company signed a deal with a leading European multinational technology leader that enables sustainable mobility in cities to produce affordable electric motorbikes and buses for the African market.
Roam, a leading designer and developer of electric vehicles, signed the deal with Hitachi Europe Ltd to make electric transport accessible in Africa.
According to a statement from Hitachi on Wednesday, February 22, the collaboration will focus on electrification in Kenya and will be geared towards increasing the number of electric motorcycles and buses.
"This working relationship was made possible by The Earthshot Prize, a global environmental prize to discover, accelerate and scale ground-breaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet," Hitachi indicated in its statement.
Roam unveiled its first electric buses in Kenya in August 2022 and plans to add more this year, and the partnership with Hitachi will see the company achieve its objective.
A 2022 Car & General report indicated that there are 1.2 million riders in Kenya, with nine out of 10 being used for commercial purposes, representing over one million jobs created.
Considering that the sector provides one million direct jobs for riders earning Ksh1 billion daily, introducing affordable electric motorcycles in the sector will see improved fortunes for many Kenyans.
Hitachi Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Chris Saul highlighted the importance of the transport sector and its contribution to global emissions.
“We are working hard to develop solutions to decarbonise the sector from road to rail and Roam shares our vision of achieving a net-zero society and we are delighted to be providing support to help make electric vehicles more accessible and cost-efficient in Africa," Saul noted.
On his part, Roam's Chief Strategy and Product Officer Albin Wilson expressed their pleasure in working with Hitachi.
"We are innovating clean energy technologies to support our customers by purposefully collaborating with industry pioneers who share our mission to transform the way we move around our world," Wilson stated.
The Kenyan market is increasingly warming to the electric mobility wave, often synonymous with developed countries.
Recently, electric Bus Company BasiGo announced the introduction of new buses to the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) - Buruburu route through a partnership with OMA Sacco to offer electric bus services to Kenyans along Jogoo Road.
Furthermore, Super Metro introduced electric buses to five major routes within Nairobi and major satellite towns, including Kikuyu, Kitengela, Ngong, Juja and Imara Daima.
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