Powerhive Seems to be To Scale Up Manufacturing Of Its Spark Electrical Motorbike In Kenya

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Powerhive, a pioneering clear vitality firm that’s now on the forefront of e-mobility options in Kenya, began with mini grids in Kisii, in western Kenya, within the 12 months 2011. Powerhive then pivoted to electrical autos in 2019. Powerhive settled on EVs after experimenting with a number of use circumstances of the productive use of energy from mini grids. This deal with EVs led to Powerhive turning into the primary firm to pilot electrical bikes and the battery swap ecosystem in Kenya. Powerhive was additionally the primary firm to have its fleet cowl half one million kilometers on Kenyan roads.

Powerhive is now on the third technology of its electrical motorbike, referred to as the Spark. Powerhive is now ramping up manufacturing and deliveries of the Spark electrical bikes. The corporate says its strides within the EV area replicate a imaginative and prescient for a cleaner, greener future whereas pioneering accessible, environment friendly, and sustainable mobility options for communities in Kenya. Late final 12 months, Powerhive unveiled a strategic collaboration with Mobius Motors, a famend car manufacturing accomplice primarily based in Nairobi. This partnership marks a major milestone in Powerhive’s ongoing efforts to advance the sustainable mobility panorama throughout the area. Mobius Motors designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells autos for the African mass market.

Powerhive says the cornerstone of this partnership is the institution of a devoted bonded warehouse throughout the Mobius Motors facility, designed for the unique meeting of Powerhive’s Spark electrical bikes and able to producing as much as 150 Spark bikes per manufacturing unit shift. This growth aligns seamlessly with Powerhive’s mission to revolutionize clear and environment friendly transportation choices, facilitating a extra accessible and eco-conscious future for riders.

Powerhive’s flagship showroom is on Ngong Highway, a significant street  in Nairobi the place it has partnered with Lexo Vitality, one of many giant retail gasoline companies in Kenya. This flagship showroom is completely photo voltaic powered by Powerhive’s 70kWp photo voltaic system. This design ensures that the grid-tied photo voltaic PV system meets the vitality necessities of the Lexo Station’s gasoline pumps, the comfort retailer, café, carwash, and the battery swap station for the Spark electrical bikes throughout the day. Powerhive was the primary licensed personal utility in Kenya in 2015, and is due to this fact leveraging on all of this expertise with this present web site and different upcoming photo voltaic microgrids linked to its electrical mobility enterprise.

Powerhive’s swap stations are totally automated, and every battery swapping cupboard homes as much as 9 batteries. Riders entry the batteries after scanning a QR code. Powerhive has 13 battery swap stations in the mean time via strategic partnerships with Shell, Lexo, and Rubis petrol stations. Powerhive has began linking some strategic routes reminiscent of Ngong to Riuru, including a number of swap stations alongside these routes for riders to have the ability to entry totally charged batteries seamlessly. Powerhive now has over 60 bikes on the street and has taken a utility/vitality service supplier strategy, the place it sells the motorbike after which gives riders an energy-as-a-service platform the place the riders lease the batteries.

Here’s a abstract of Powerhive’s Gen 3 Spark electrical motorbike specs and the vitality entry plan:

• 4kW motor
• 3kWh battery
• 80km to 100km on a full battery
• Riders get limitless swaps for 450 shillings per day, and riders save about 900 shillings per day as they have been spending 1500 shillings per day simply on gasoline

There are near 50 startups at numerous levels of growth in East Africa’s electrical motorbike ecosystem. Powerhive is banking on its monitor file in Kenya and expertise in mini grids, related {hardware}, and software program experience to face out and assist lead the transition to electrical mobility in Kenya. This monitor file will assist it within the quest to draw the proper strategic partnerships with as lots of the present gamers in Kenya’s electrical motorbike sector as doable, and in addition with traders to unlock the important mass and the proper stage of capital wanted to scale the electrical car trade to the extent wanted to begin displacing a major variety of ICE car gross sales.

Photos courtesy of Powerhive