- President William Ruto’s administration championed the use of electric motorcycles, saying they would reduce operational costs for boda boda operators
- A Kenyan man who acquired an electric motorbike on a KSh 500,000 (N2,728,392.39) loan was disappointed after the bike’s battery lasted for only one hour
- Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) Secretary General Stephen Mutoro revealed that the man had to return the motorcycle after a week
- Chief Product Officer at Roam Kenya Albin Wilson noted that one electric motorbike battery can last for 75 kilometres
A Kenyan who purchased an electric motorcycle on a KSh 500,000 (N2,728,392.39) loan has been forced to return it after its battery failed to meet his demands.
Source: Twitter
The boda boda operator argued that the bike’s battery could only last for 60km, an equivalent of one hour, and takes four hours to recharge, affecting his business.
President William Ruto’ had launched electric motorcycles nationwide, saying they would reduce operational costs for boda boda operators.
Electric motorcycle battery capacity
Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) Secretary General Stephen Mutoro shared the man’s complaints on Twitter, now X platform, saying he was lucky to be refunded back his deposit of KSh 30,000.
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In an exclusive interview with Kenyan widely read media, TUKO.co.ke, Chief Product Officer at Roam Kenya Albin Wilson, explained that electric motorcycles come with two batteries, which can cover up to KSh 150km on a full charge.
He confirmed the complainant’s claims that a drained battery takes up to 4 hours to complete charge.
“Roam Air has two batteries. One battery with a single driver will give a range of 75km. So with two, it covers 150km. One battery takes 4 hours to charge from 0%-100%, but only 1.5 hours from 20%-100%,” said Wilson.
Wilson noted that the company gives a proper warranty on the battery of up to 18 months, adding that they have a rental program for batteries that have faulted.
“We, however, have a rental program where you can get a battery quickly, which reduces the downtime to 30 seconds from any of our 4 Roam Hub stations in Nairobi (there will be 10 by the end of the year),” he said.
Operation cost of electric motorcycles in Kenya
Kenyans responding to the victim’s claims shared their experience, with some arguing that the bikes are not viable for business.
@smutoro wrote;
“Lifespan can even be 2 years. The issue is performance (speed of charging) and retention while in use as well as off use…”
@PiusMuthui015 asked;
“I interrogated another delivery guy and told me the battery can sustain for only 20 km. I ask myself, what will I do if I want to go and see my family in Meru?”
@julius_okuto claimed;
“Electric Motorcycles are NOT for business. It is as simple as such.”
However, Wilson maintained that electric motorcycles are cost-effective for boda operators and can help them save money.
Cost of charging electric motor battery in Kenya
He explained that an electric motorbike battery takes 72 volts and 45Ah or 3.2kWh, which is KSh 96 for home charging of one battery based on current Kenya Power tariffs.
If the amount is converted based on 75km, it will cost a motorist KSh 1.28 per kilometre, which is cheap, according to Wilson
“I mean, electric motorcycles aren’t for everyone. We know that they can massively reduce the operating cost for a boda driver.
“However, we have many drivers that really do save money, get all the function they need out of it, and understand the technology,” he added.
Kenyans have been sharing different views about EVs and the cost of charging compared to fuelling.
Most argued that it would be expensive to charge an EV if Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) does not lower its electricity bills.
Man converted keke engine to electric
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a young Nigerian man, Chukwuemeka Eze, got praise from people on TikTok after he spoke about how he converted a petrol vehicle into an electric automobile.
The man said his journey of transforming petrol cars into electric started when he was an undergraduate at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
