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9 REASONS WHY YOU WANT AN ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE WITH A SWAPPABLE BATTERY

December 7, 2023

The first electric motorcycle in Africa! Designed in Kenya, for Africa.


The last few years you hear about it more often, electric vehicles. Also in African countries they get more and more popular. Here in Kenya,we designed an electric motorcycle specially created for African roads. Efficient, but strong. Sustainable, but powerful. With a robust design and a swappable battery, our electric motorcycle is suitable for riding in the busy traffic of the city, as well as off-road. And all this in a clean and eco-friendly way.

The Kenyan government has set the goal to have 5% of registered vehicles to be electric by 2025.We think that’s great! By making the technology more cost-efficient and simplifying deployment, we make electric transport more accessible to a broader market. Because we make electric driving accessible for the mass market, we focus on the largest group: public transport in East Africa. One of the most common forms of transport in East African countries are the boda bodas, the motorcycles used to go quickly from Point A to Point B in busy traffic.

But what are the advantages of an electric motorcycle? And why do you​​want to exchange your polluting, inefficient fossil fueled motorcycle for a more sustainable electric one? We have listed 10 good reasons why you would rather switch to electric driving today!


1. SAVE MONEY: AN ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND ALMOST MAINTENANCE-FREE


Save money! Definitely one of the best reasons to start driving an electric motorcycle. And it might be more affordable than you think.The purchase of an electric motorcycle is an investment that pays off over the years of use. Driving an electric motorcycle can save you 50%on running costs. But how does it work?

First of all, the electric motorcycle is powered by a rechargeable battery instead of petrol. If we look at the energy source of the motorcycles and list the costs per 10 km, with a fossil fueled motorcycle you consume around $0.25 per 10 km and with our electric motorcycle around $0.08 per 10 km. By using our electric motorcycle, you already save 68% on fuel costs!Imagine taking a trip with your brand new electric motorcycle of 30 km from The Village Market in Gigiri to the SGR station in Nairobi, you will save up to $0.51. Repeat this trip ten times, and you've already saved more than $5!

Of course any motorcycle, electric or not, require some maintenance. For example, the tires and brake pads. These parts all need to be monitored and replaced once in a while. The advantage of an electric motorcycle is that it only has one moving part: the electric motor.This means our motorcycle is full electric and has no oil, no spark plugs, no air filter, and no timing belts. It also doesn't have a gearbox or clutch, which are often the most expensive parts on a motorcycle to be replaced. Conclusion: over the years you save a lot of money on maintenance with our electric motorcycle.


2. ZERO EMISSIONS - YOU CAN DO YOUR PART FOR THE ENVIRONMENT


It has not gone unnoticed that we are dealing with environmental pollution. During the social distancing measurements to reduce COVID-19 in 2020, the pollution reduced so much that suddenly Mount Kenya was visible from Nairobi, the second-highest mountain in Africa and highest mountain in Kenya.Some Kenyans even say they spotted the highest mountain of Africa,Mount Kilimanjaro, from the capital city.

The growing concern and fear of greenhouse gas emissions and accompanying climate change are significant concerns for forward-thinking businesses such as Opibus. According to Knoema indicators, the CO2 emission in Kenya in 2019 was 0.38 tons per capita. Since road transport by average passengers is one of the significant sources of CO2 emissions, it is hard to argue that electric motorcycles would not make an immediate improvement if implemented nationwide. Especially because boda bodas, the motorbike taxis,contribute to the highest percentage of intercity transport in East Africa.

As said before, the Kenyan government has set the goal to increase 5% of the registered vehicles to be electric by 2025. There is an increasing consensus among national policymakers and responsible business people to move towards a low-carbon future in Kenya. It is time to consider both the social and environmental repercussions of not opting for electric motorcycles.

Our electric motorcycles do not produce any emissions because the battery can be charged with renewable energy from the grid or even straight from a solar system. This means the motorcycle has no fumes and there is virtually no CO2 emissions while driving. In general, fossil fueled motorcycles transmit 10g of CO2 per 10 km. Our electric motorcycle emits 0.3g CO2 per 10 km. This means a reduction of 97%!


3. ROBUST DESIGN: YOU CAN USE THE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE EVERYWHERE


From well-built roads, to off-road dirt paths, potholes and muddy alleys,the African roads are diverse and full of surprises, so you never know what you’ll come across. You want to make sure that your electric motorcycle can withstand all of these conditions and take you anywhere you want. The robust design and a frame made of ultra-tough steel, ensures our motorcycle can go through all terrains. The motorcycle has been tested in extreme conditions to make sure that repairs are kept to a minimum without compromising on performance.


4. YOU CAN CUT DOWN YOUR COMMUTE TIME


Driving in East African cities, like Nairobi, Mombasa and Kampala, a few miles sometimes can take hours to travel. Nothing gives you a better feeling than leaving the crowd behind and skillfully riding your electric motorcycle through the busy traffic. With an electric motorcycle, changing gears is no longer necessary, which means you only have to focus on what is happening all around you. The instant torque and rapid acceleration of the electric motorcycle makes it easy to adapt to traffic and react quickly to your environment. Soon you will leave the busy traffic behind, and you will reach your destination in no time!


5. ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES ARE QUIET


Besides environmental pollution from greenhouse gas emissions, we also have to deal with noise pollution. Nairobi is exposed to 86.3± 9.6 dB of noise pollution contributed by public service vehicles, like matatus and boda bodas (the busses and motorbike taxi’s in East Africa). Car horns,yelling, and gasoline-filled cars polluting the atmosphere, all contribute to a less-than-pleasant commute experience. When you invest in an electric motorcycle, you do your part in reducing the chaos.

Electric motorcycles produce almost no sounds. They are very quiet and make virtually no noise. The sound of the electric engine can hardly be heard and the only sound that the electric motorcycle gives off is the tires running over the roads.


6. YOU NEVER LOSE POWER WITH SWAPPABLE BATTERIES AND A PORTABLE CHARGER


Is your battery running low while driving? Not a problem, our swappable battery allows you to swap your empty battery for a fully charged one within 10 seconds!You can continue your trip without interruption, extending your range, and making it possible to bring your battery inside to charge.During long rides you can bring an extra battery with you which can be swapped at home or at the office.

Our electric motorcycle has two large removable batteries. The intelligent battery management system that the batteries are connected to makes sure it output the right power at the right time.The range of the electric motorcycle is 160 km. Every battery provides a range of 80 km. Of course the range depends on a couple of things, such as the terrain, rate of acceleration, and the tire pressure, but this isn’t any different compared to a conventional motorcycle.

A portable charger is included with the purchase of our electric motorcycle. You can take this charger everywhere with you, to charge your batteries at any AC outlet. It can be plugged into any 230 /240V AC socket in your home, at the office or in public facilities,and it will take less than 4 hours for the portable charger to fully charge 1 battery!

7. WITH INSTANT ACCELERATION, THE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE IS FAST


Some riders need the thrill of speed. Others want to get from Point A to Point B in the shortest amount of time possible. Whatever your wants and needs, electric motorcycles outrank traditional motorcycles in torque and power. Riders can expect 100 percent instant torque and rapid acceleration for freeway driving. No conventional motorcycle can compare to this performance.

In the middle of the busy traffic of the city, you have to brake and accelerate a lot to keep up with the traffic. Fortunately, you don't have to shift gears with an electric motorcycle. All you have to do is accelerate and brake, which makes driving in the busy traffic of the city a lot more pleasant! Perhaps you are under the impression torque is scary, but electric motorcycle torque and power are linear and give a relatively smooth acceleration. With the speed of the instant torque and rapid acceleration, the motorcycle is perfect for city and off-road riding.


8. THE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE IS EASY TO DRIVE


You don’t have that much experience in how to drive a motorbike yet?That’s not a problem with our electric motorcycle! It is super easy to ride, and we are convinced everyone can do it. Since you don't have to shift gears on our electric motorcycle, you just have to switch it on and ride. This gives you the chance to focus more on the environment and less on how to ride the motorcycle.


9. THE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE IS CREATED, BUILT AND DESIGNED IN AFRICA


We want to make electric transport more accessible to a broader market,such as the public transport, and it was our goal to create a cheap and low-cost motorcycle. We have not only taken the costumer into account, but we also make use of local production and local assembly for our motorcycles. That’s why we say: Designed in Kenya, for Africa!


I WANT AN ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE!


Are you excited and do you also want to switch to electric? You can find more information about the electric motorcycle and the prices on our motorcycle page! On this page, you can pre-order your electric motorcycle, and in a few months you’ll enjoy all the benefits of riding electric.