The Government of Rwanda in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on June 10, launched a ground-breaking pilot project intended to put more electric motorcycles on Rwanda’s roads.
The project aims to gradually phase out the use of traditional petrol or diesel-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles by converting them electric, which will reduce air-polluting emissions as well as cut fuel costs, according to proponents of the initiative.
It was initiated by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) with financial and technical support from UNDP through the Poverty-Environment Action for SDGs Project.
REMA has partnered with a local company, Rwanda Electric Mobility Ltd, to implement the pilot phase in Kigali, which it considers ‘another milestone in promoting e-mobility in Rwanda’.
The project pilot phase cost $150,000 (about Rwf150 million), indicates information from REMA.
Such funds cater for components including training its personnel (40 students from the Integrated Polytechnic Regional College - Kigali (IPRC Kigali) and retrofitting of 80 fossil fuel motorcycles to electric motorcycles for free, with aim to encourage Rwandans, especially actors in the transport sector, to adopt electric vehicles/motors and contribute to reducing air pollution.
Motorcycle taxi operators whose bikes were retrofitted to electricity use said they were incurring huge maintenance costs, and that overall, they are able to make more profits than before.
"I used to spend Rwf5,000 per week for engine oil, which is no longer the case. I pay Rwf900 to charge a battery and that covers 60 kilometres compared to 40 kilometres which are covered by a litre of petrol priced at Rwf1,088,” said Jean-Paul Habimana, a motorcycle taxi operator from Gasabo District.
"I earn Rwf5,000 from transporting passengers on the bike using the charged battery compared to Rwf3,000 I used to get before,” he said.
Juliet Kabera, Director-General of REMA said that the project targets bikes that are at least three years old and emit significant levels of pollution.
"We are taking this approach because motorcycle taxis are an important form of transport for Rwandans as well as a source of income to many motorcycle riders,” she said.
The six-month retrofitting pilot will pave the way for 30,000 motorcycles to be transformed into e-motorbikes over the next five years, according to REMA.
Data from the Ministry of Infrastructure shows that Rwanda has more than 100,000 motorbikes officially registered, with 46,000 operating as moto-taxis. The City of Kigali alone has 26,000 internal combustion engine motorcycle taxis.
The cost of retrofitting one motorcycle is estimated at between Rwf650,000 and Rwf700,000, according to information from REMA.
Donald Kabanda, CEO of Rwanda Electric Mobility Ltd explained that the cost would be relative depending on the type (nature and features) of the bike to be converted, indicating that it won’t exceed Rwf800,000, which he said is half price (Rwf1.6 million) of a new electric bike sold by the company.
He said that the retrofitting process includes replacing the petrol or diesel-run engine and its accessories including the chain and the exhaust pipe with electric parts.
A motorcycle rider has two easily swappable batteries, one being a reserve. Once both batteries are about to run out of power, he moves to the nearest station where he is given charged ones and leaves those which are empty.
Currently, there are three charging stations in the City of Kigali – in Nyabugogo, Remera and Kicukiro, but motorcycle taxi operators expressed the need for more.
During a "Youth Meet the President” event held in August 2019, President Kagame shared a plan to convert internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles to electric motorcycles in Rwanda.
The project, REMA said, is in line with that announcement and Rwanda’s ten-year climate action plan (Nationally Determined Contribution) to reduce 4.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030 and is aligned with Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST1 2017-2024).
"Addressing air pollution not only benefits our environment and limits climate change, but also improves the health of Rwandans. This innovative retrofitting pilot project will help us to understand the best approaches and technologies to adopt as we build a green and climate-resilient Rwanda and meet our international obligations,” Kabera said.
Economic benefits
Talking about the economic benefits of the move, Kabanda said that "One full charge costs Rwf900 and provides enough range for a 60km trip, while one litre of petrol costs more than Rwf1,000 and covers only 25km.
This means that a retrofitted e-motor-taxi operator will save more than Rwf100 per charge compared to petrol-fuelled motor-taxi and travel twice the distance.”
Kabera said that transition to use of electric motorcycles will save up to Rwf9 billion annually from [fossil] fuel imports, significantly reducing Rwanda’s annual fuel import bill estimated at Rwf23 billion.
This implies that as opposed to spending Rwf23 billion on importing fuel every year, electric motorcycles would spend only Rwf14 billion on electricity, which is generated in the country.
Daniel Ngarambe, chairperson of Rwanda Federation of Taxi-Moto Operators (FERWACOTAMO) said that the new move is welcome as it has proven to be beneficial in terms of income generation and environmental protection, but called for strategies to help them get the service easily.
"There should be mechanisms to support motorcycle taxi operators get their bikes converted to electricity use and pay for the service in instalments,” he said.
A fuel motorcycles which is converted to an electric bike at Rwanda Electric Mobility Ltd in Kicukiro district on June 10, 2021.
A technician plug in a battery of motorcycles at the electric bike station at Rwanda Electric Mobility Ltd in Kicukiro district on June 10, 2021.
Donald Kabanda, CEO of Rwanda Electric Mobility Ltd explain to Maxwell Gomera Resident Representative of UNDP Rwanda how electric motorcycles work after converted from fuel motorcycle.
Nicola Bellomo EU Ambassador to Rwanda ride some electric motorcycles at Rwanda Electric Mobility Ltd in Kicukiro district on June 10, 2021.
Students of IPRC Kigali retrofitting of fossil fuel motorcycles to electric motorcycles at Rwanda Electric Mobility Ltd in Kicukiro district on June 10, 2021.