The US EV tax credit discussion has been going on for a while, while other countries continue to examine their electrification plans. Uganda is taking a bold step, where President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni made the announcement during this year’s national address. He said that the government will be providing electric motorcycles to its citizens who are currently using ICE-powered motorcycles.
According to the announcement, the government won’t have to fund the large program on its self. However, there will be investors for the capital. Museveni said, “We have agreed with some investors, to take away the petrol ones and give the owners the electric ones. This swap will save motorcycle operators 50% of the cost.” Those investors will reportedly be granted licenses to operate charging and battery swap stations, which would be used to recoup their investment.
The electric motorcycles are domestically-produced Ugandan models that generally retail for around 5 million Ugandan Shillings (approximately US $1,350). They’re commonly used by Boda Bodas, which are motorcycle taxis that are popular in much of Africa. Whereas in some places you might hail an Uber or Lyft to go meet up with friends, in Uganda, it is common to hop on the back of a motorcycle taxi and be quickly whisked to your destination. Many African nations have pushed to electrify these large motorcycle fleets, but Uganda’s announcement marks the single largest program yet designed to replace all ICE-powered motorcycles in a country.
Motorcycle taxi operators
In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, electric motorcycles are likely to help support independent motorcycle taxi operators with lower operating costs. Ugandan Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Monica Musenero, put the operational cost savings as even higher than the President’s figures, “These bikes are 60% cheaper to operate than the current ones because they don’t take fuel. Charging the motorbike takes a very small fraction. They don’t have a lot of serviceable parts and the operator gets a lot more money. Because they are made here, we are taking care of safety measures and local circumstances. For example, if it is stolen, it will report to us and we will be able to switch it off. If you try to remove parts, it will report. This will enhance the security of the motorcycle.”
The motorcycles are designed for urban operation and, thus, don’t have very long ranges. A single charge is capable of providing around 70 km (43 miles) of range. For that reason, motorcycles rely on a network of charging and battery swap stations. Companies, like Zembo, already operate over a dozen charging and swapping stations in the country’s capital of Kampala.
