Here’s why one startup is giving out 140,000 free electric motorcycles
Earlier this year we reported on Uganda’s announcement that it would seek to replace all of its combustion engine-powered motorcycles with electric motorcycles by giving out free replacements to riders. Now we’re learning how the country hopes to make good on the plan, and it has something to do with a little known e-motorcycle and battery-swapping startup called Spiro.
Formerly known as MAUTO, Spiro has already put 4,500 electric motorcycles on the road in Rwanda, Benin, and Togo. Now Spiro plans to significantly scale up operations by rolling out 140,000 electric motorcycles in Uganda over the next five years.
The motorcycles will be given out free-of-charge, with Spiro expecting to earn revenue on the charging and battery swapping side of its operations.
The new bikes will be targeted towards motorcycle taxi operators.
Motorcycles and especially motorcycle taxies, commonly referred to as “boda-bodas” in Uganda, have become a popular mode of transportation due to their affordability, convenience, and adaptability. In the face of often congested roads and unreliable public transport systems, motorcycles provide a faster and more flexible alternative for navigating urban and rural areas alike.
Additionally, the lower cost of purchase and maintenance compared to cars has made them a more accessible option for many Ugandans. The popularity of motorcycles has also spurred a thriving boda-boda industry, creating numerous job opportunities for riders, mechanics, and related businesses, contributing significantly to Uganda’s local economy and social fabric.
But with nearly 100% of those motorcycles powered by fossil fuels, the large dependence on boda-bodas has also contributed significantly to the company’s emissions and reduced air quality.
After receiving $50 million in funding from the African Fund for Transformation and Industrialization (ATIF), Spiro plans to provide not just 140,000 locally-built electric motorcycles but also 3,000 battery swap stations.
Instead of waiting several hours for batteries to charge on a typical electric motorcycle, Spiro’s models rely on swappable batteries. The batteries aren’t quite as fancy as those of Gogoro or other leading battery swapping companies that can be swapped in seconds, as they rely on manual battery swaps that take around three minutes.
That still allows boda-boda riders to get back out on the road quickly, which is important when working long shifts throughout the country.
The company currently operates 250 battery swapping stations, which are responsible for more than 130,000 swaps in the countries Spiro has already entered. The 4,500 electric motorcycles using those swapping stations have covered over 22 million kilometers so far.
Spiro also plans to set up an electric motorcycle assembly plant that it says will create 9,000 jobs in the green mobility industry.
Spiro’s motorcycles feature 6.5 kW motors and reach speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph). The range of 90 km (56 miles) per charge is supplemented by the swappable batteries to keep the bikes on the road throughout the day.
“Our ability to deploy over 4,500 electric motorcycles in less than a year of operation is evidence of the fact that electric two-wheelers are the future of sustainable mobility in Africa,” says Shegun Adjadi Bakari, CEO of Spiro and partner at the African Fund for Transformation and Industrialization (ATIF). “In the coming weeks, we will launch our program to substitute conventional motorcycles with electric ones. Drivers in Uganda will be able to trade in their old motorcycles for one of our commercially available models. This is a groundbreaking move in Africa, and we have already implemented this scheme in Benin, Togo, and Rwanda, with a favorable market reaction. We are excited to bring the same approach to Uganda.”
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Slate Auto, a new EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has poached a key Tesla manufacturing leader to build its electric pickup truck factory in Indiana.
Napoleon Reyes is a US Marine from Indiana who got a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue after leaving the force.
He then worked a few years at Subaru and Wabash before joining Tesla’s manufacturing team at the Fremont Factory in 2020.
There, he became part of the Model Y production ramp and was quickly promoted to lead the Model Y General Assembly in Fremont in 2022.
Reyes led Model Y GA, one of the most critical parts of vehicle manufacturing, for more than a year before being promoted again to lead new pilot processes at the factory.
Most recently, he led the launch of the general assembly line for the Model Y refresh.
The new engineering manager announced this week that he is leaving Tesla to join Slate:
A bit late on the post but after nearly 5 years working at Tesla in Fremont, I made the difficult decision to leave the Company and move closer to home with my family. It was an incredible experience being part of multiple line expansions and multiple Model Y program launches. Leading and managing the Model Y Refresh launch for GA in Fremont this year tested me professionally however we ultimately succeeded due to our amazing cross functional team collaboration. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such great people, and I will forever be proud and thankful for everything we accomplished together.
I will be taking on a new role as Senior Manager, Plant Vehicle Engineering at Slate Auto in Warsaw, In.
Slate emerged from stealth mode earlier this year to unveil a new type of electric pickup truck featuring modular customization and an affordable price.
The company raised over $700 million through two rounds of investments from several different investors, including Jeff Bezos. It is currently raising more, which basically guarantees that it will be able to reach production.
The startup acquired a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana. It is currently converting to manufacture its electric pickup with a team from legacy automakers and also several former engineers and leaders from Tesla.
Rich Schmidt, an early Tesla manufacturing director, is the head of manufacturing.
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Genesis is preparing to shake things up with its most luxurious SUV yet, the GV90. Thanks to a new patent filing, we are getting a detailed look at how its Rolls-Royce-style coach doors will work.
New patent reveals Genesis GV90 coach door system
When Genesis first unveiled the full-size SUV at the NY Auto Show last March, it wasn’t the stunning design or advanced tech that caught everyone’s attention. It was the coach doors.
Although we were worried it wouldn’t make it to the production model, like many concepts, the Genesis GV90 will be offered with coach doors.
The ultra-luxe electric SUV was first caught with coach doors earlier this year on a car carrier in South Korea. Just last month, the GV90 was spotted in California with a hinge at the rear to open the coach doors.
After several new patents were filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for new door latching devices, we are getting a sneak peek at how they are expected to work.
The patents, titled “Cinching Device For Door Latches in Vehicle,” and “Door Latch Device for Vehicles,” give a pretty detailed explanation of how the Genesis GV90’s coach doors will operate. The “Door Latch Device” uses a door striker on the lower side of the door, which is opened or closed by a hinge unit.
Unlike traditional doors, which use the B-pillar for support, the device is attached directly to the door itself, allowing for hinge-like movement.
The cinching device works in a similar way. It’s also attached to the door and part of the vehicle. However, unlike most of its kind, Genesis found a way to use a single cinching device to control multiple units. Again, the device is used for B-pillarless doors that swing open.
Genesis already said that B-pillarless coach doors are now feasible in production vehicles. The patent reveals a glimpse into how the luxury automaker could make it a reality.
Although the Genesis GV90 is expected to be offered with coach doors, they will likely not be standard. Other variants, with traditional door handles, have also been spotted testing in the US and South Korea.
Genesis is expected to launch the GV90 in mid-2026. It will be built at Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea. The flagship Genesis SUV is scheduled to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which the company said will “provide 50% improvement in driving range.” It will also be loaded with the latest technology, software, connectivity, and Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capabilities.
Source: USPTO
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Environment
Podcast: Tesla Model YL, more Tesla probes and lawsuits, new Nissan Leaf pricing, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the launch of the Tesla Model YL, more Tesla probes and lawsuits, new Nissan Leaf pricing, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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