Ampersand Energy

This is a game-changer! From January 2025, the Rwandan government will halt the registration of petrol-powered motorcycles for public transport in Kigali! 🎊 This progressive policy is a significant boost to – and a vote of confidence in - the EV market. It sets an incredible precedent for sustainable mobility across East Africa and beyond, with Rwanda showing the urgent action needed NOW across the globe to protect our planet and our communities. 🌍🚀 We applaud the Ministry of Infrastructure's historic decision, which not only minimises the environmental impact of petrol motorcycles but also strengthens the local economy as millions of dollars will now be saved annually through reduced fuel imports which can be re-invested elsewhere. A true win for communities and the planet. 🤝 At Ampersand, we share the vision of a cleaner, healthier planet and are proud to operate in Rwanda, reshaping how Africa moves and advancing economic prosperity. As we look to the future, we encourage other countries in the region and around the world to follow Rwanda's ambitious example. 🌱💚 Find out more from The New Times (Rwanda) article here: https://lnkd.in/dNFyHFD7 #EV #ElectricVehicles #Rwanda #CleanEnergy

Powering Conversations, Driving Change! Proud to have been part of last week's transformative E-mobility Forum in Kigali, organized by GIZ Rwanda in collaboration with the Rwanda Ministry of Infrastructure(MININFRA) . Our Co-founder and Rwanda Country Director, Dipl.-Ing. Emmanuel Hakizimana shared Ampersand's journey in energizing East Africa's mobility sector. The numbers tell our story: we're helping riders increase their take-home pay by 45% while building a cleaner, more sustainable future for all. We're not just talking about change - we're proving it's possible. Our unique approach demonstrates that we can electrify millions of motorcycles across Africa, making clean mobility both accessible and profitable. Thank you GIZ Rwanda for creating this vital platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. Together, we're accelerating Rwanda's transition to sustainable transportation! #EmobilityForum #SustainableTransport #AmpersandEnergy

Thanks to The Economist and Tom Gardner for highlighting Ampersand Energy and the significant benefits of EV energy technology to African cities and people: Especially in driving cost savings to drivers, cutting local air pollution, and decarbonising transport on a fast-growing continent. As we head towards #COP29, I hope this piece helps shine a light globally on the huge opportunity that electrifying Africa’s motorcycles offers the world, as well as savvy investors. #energytransition #netzero #emobility https://lnkd.in/dNdfCCDd

Ampersand Energy has opened a new manufacturing facility in Nairobi, tripling its e-motorcycle production capacity in Kenya and laying the foundation for its continued expansion in East Africa. “Our new Nairobi factory is a major step forward in both scale and impact,” remarked Josh Whale, CEO of Amperpsand. “It reflects our dedication to providing sustainable, affordable EV solutions that directly benefit riders and the environment. With this expanded capacity, we’re in a stronger position to support the electrification of Africa’s commercial motorcycle transport and to scale Ampersand’s proven business model.” Learn more at: https://zurl.co/bnVY #EV #ElectricMotorcycles #ElectricVehicles #SustainableTransport

Happy Mazingira Day! 🌍💚 At Ampersand, every day is Environment Day as we ride towards a cleaner, greener future. Our mission to cut carbon emissions resonates deeply with the spirit of Mazingira Day. We're proud to be at the forefront of sustainable transportation in East Africa, proving that eco-friendly solutions can drive both economic growth and environmental protection. The numbers speak for themselves: 🏍️ Each Ampersand e-motorcycle saves approximately 1935 kg of CO2 per year 🚀 With over 1,000 e-motorcycles on the road in Kenya, that's a total of 2,198 metric tons of CO2 saved annually! That's equivalent to Planting about 100,000 trees🌳 Together, we're not just transforming mobility – we're breathing cleaner air into our communities and building a more sustainable future for generations to come. Join the electric revolution and choose Earth. 🔋🏍️ #MazingiraDay #SustainableMobility #AmpersandEnergy

⚡️ Electrifying East Africa’s Moto-Taxi Industry: Social & Economic Impact ⚡️ In our last post, we explored the broader moto-taxi industry in East Africa. Now, we’re looking at the social impact of electrifying the sector, focusing on findings from our work with our friends at Ampersand Energy in Kenya and Rwanda. While environmental benefits are clear, the socio-economic advantages of transitioning from petrol to electric motorcycles (e-motos) are just as crucial. To understand this at a more human level, we listened to what 272 e-moto drivers had to say: ✅ 87% of drivers in Kenya and 86% in Rwanda reported higher earnings with Ampersand e-motos compared to petrol bikes. ✅ 71% of drivers in Kenya and 60% in Rwanda said they’d stick with Ampersand even if fuel prices were cheaper – citing both economic and environmental reasons. The impact potential is huge: With over 3 million moto-taxi drivers in Kenya by some estimates, electrification could not only transform the industry but also improve the livelihoods of millions. Additionally, Ampersand is addressing key barriers to e-moto adoption by reducing recharging downtime through their battery swap stations, ensuring drivers can stay on the move. However, challenges remain – especially beyond city limits, where more infrastructure and longer battery life were frequently requested by drivers. 🌍 Despite these obstacles, Ampersand has already helped avoid 11,500 tons of CO2 and powered 150 million kilometers of travel. As Ampersand and other EV players scale, the environmental and economic benefits will only continue to grow. Stay tuned as we continue our work with Ampersand, understanding the social, economic, and environmental changes electrification brings to drivers, passengers, and cities across East Africa. #EV #Sustainability #Ampersand #BodaBoda #ElectricVehicles #MotoTaxis #GreenTransport #Weaverbirds  🔗 Full Blog Post: https://lnkd.in/dUQF-jKS 👋 Want to learn more about Weaverbirds? Drop us a line!

Avoiding billions of emissions and improving the livelihoods of millions: a global transition to electric vehicles ⚡🚗 At Ampersand Energy, an electric mobility company based in Nairobi, I’ve seen first-hand the benefits a transition to electric vehicles can bring. Ampersand provides motorcycle taxi drivers with battery-based motorbikes that are quick to recharge and maintained cost-free. Their fleet of e-motorbikes has nearly doubled the take-home pay of the drivers who use them, as drivers can avoid expensive fuel costs. The battery hub also provided new jobs to the community and avoided the release of approximately 11.5 tonnes of emissions, improving the air quality for Nairobi residents. Ampersand is just one example of the leadership that will deliver a truly global electric vehicle transition. The IKEA Foundation is supporting Drive Electric Campaign to help leaders in emerging markets to ‘leapfrog’ over dirty combustion vehicles to sustainable, zero-emission transport for all. 📢📢 Progress across the energy transition is far too uneven. It is our collective responsibility to ensure no regions or countries are left behind. Either we think and act as if we have one home and one planet, or none of us will succeed. Thank you so much Josh Whale and your great team for showing us the Ampersand facilities and Jacqueline Novogratz for accompanying us. Meeting the workers on the ground, listening to their stories and hearing first-hand the impact that the initiative delivers, was truly inspiring. #ClimateWeekNYC #DriveElectric #ClimateAction #SustainableTransport #EVTransition #ClimateWeekIKF2024 ClimateWorks Foundation

We are proud to have been part of history at Kenya's record-breaking EV Parade! 🏆🌍 Last week, we joined the largest electric vehicle parade ever seen in Kenya and Africa, setting a new EV parade record! This incredible feat marked the perfect conclusion to Africa E-mobility Week, showcasing the continent's commitment to sustainable transportation. A huge shoutout to the Electric Mobility Association of Kenya (EMAK) for organizing this groundbreaking event. Together, we're driving the future of clean mobility in Africa! 🔋🏍️  #AmpersandEnergy #AfricaEmobilityWeek #EVParade

Please welcome...🥁...solar-powered charging and batteries for our E-bikes as we rev up Kenya’s E-mobility transition together with CrossBoundary Group!🏍 ☀   As announced during Africa E-Mobility Week, we are excited to be teaming up with CrossBoundary Energy to power our bikes with solar energy at strategically located charging stations in Nairobi, enabling us to scale more quickly and even more sustainably! ☘ “The availability of reliable, affordable charging infrastructure is essential to scaling our operations and meeting the growing demand for e-mobility in Kenya. With CrossBoundary Energy’s solution, we are confident we can expand faster and more efficiently, bringing our e-bikes to more riders across Kenya and East Africa. By leveraging solar power this expansion will be even more sustainable, cutting carbon emissions faster.” - Hezbon Mose, Kenya Country Director here at Ampersand. “This launch is exciting for many reasons – firstly, it marks the start of CrossBoundary Energy’s foray into the e-mobility sector, in which we hope to play the same role we have played for C&I solar and mini-grids – accelerating private investment and driving growth. Secondly, because we are working with a partner with a strong track record and ambitious plans for East Africa, we hope to play an important part in supporting Ampersand to achieve their plans to scale.” - Tombo Banda, Managing Director and Head of CrossBoundary’s Innovation Lab. Find out more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dfNjsGT9 #SolarPower #EVTransition #Kenya

Today marks three years since I discovered an awesome experience just by scrolling through my LinkedIn feed! 😄 Three years ago, I was scrolling through LinkedIn and stumbled upon Ampersand Energy for the first time. I'd never heard of Ampersand before, but their story was so compelling that I knew right away I wanted to be part of this startup. For those wondering how I hadn’t heard of Ampersand, even while being in Kigali, well, back then, they had fewer than 40 motorbikes on the road and only a handful of swap stations. I took my shot right here on LinkedIn and sent a direct message. Two weeks later, I started consulting at Ampersand, and soon after, I joined full-time. Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful for this journey. Being part of a fast-growing startup is not always sunshine, but the rewards are unmatched. You get to see the impact of your work almost immediately! Today, Ampersand motorbikes are a familiar sight on the streets of Kigali and Nairobi. As Africa's first electric energy company with the longest and most successful track record of managing a commercial e-motorcycle fleet and battery-swapping network at scale, Ampersand stands out in the industry. With nearly 5,000 motorbikes on the road, they’ve covered over 150 million kilometers, farther than the distance from Earth to the sun🌞 That's a testament to the impact we're making every day. Beyond the visible growth, the positive effect on drivers' income(yes, an Ampersand motorbike can boost a driver's income up to 40%) and the environment is immense🌍 So, here’s to celebrating three years of personal and career growth, innovation, and impact! And hey, if you haven’t yet taken an Ampersand ride, I challenge you to do so next time you’re around Kigali or Nairobi. It’s a unique experience you won’t forget!