Uber rolls out electric bike fleet
In an effort to achieve its aim of having an emissions-free worldwide platform by the year 2040, ride-hailing firm Uber on Thursday in Kenya launched its first electric motorbike service in Africa.
The launch in Kenya will be followed later this year by those in Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa, according to Kagiso Khaole, general manager of Uber‘s Sub-Saharan Africa region.
Uber‘s new environmentally friendly service in Kenya, called Electric Boda after the Swahili term for motorcycle taxis, will include 3,000 bikes, or slightly less than one-fifth of its fleet, within six months.
Users of the platform would pay 15-20% less than they would for a typical Uber motorbike trip, while drivers would save 30-35%, the startup claims.
You’ll hear and feel less vibrations, claims Khaole.
In Kenya, which gets more than 90% of its power from renewable sources and has established itself as a pioneer in Africa’s transition to green transportation, Uber has previously tested a small number of electric bikes.
In order to save drivers time, local businesses have started to construct battery-swapping facilities in big cities like Nairobi.
By the end of the year, up from the current 2,000, Kenyan President William Ruto wants to see more than 200,000 electric motorbikes on the road.
Uber’s new green product in Kenya, dubbed Electric Boda in a nod to the Swahili term for motorbike taxis, will comprise 3,000 bikes within six months, or just under a fifth of its fleet.
Drives will see a 30-35% drop in their operating costs, and users of the platform will pay 15-20% less than they do for a regular Uber rolls out electric bike fleetmotorbike trip, the company said.
“You will experience lower vibrations, less sound,” Khaole said.
In Kenya, which generates more than 90% of its power from renewable sources and has been positioning itself as a hub to lead Africa’s shift to green transport, Uber previously carried out small pilots for electric bikes with external partners.
