Ampersand Energy, one of Africa’s earliest startups to offer electric motorcycles and battery swapping, has opened its swapping network to everyone who would like to design and deploy motorcycles around Ampersand’s batteries. Ampersand has a network in Kenya and Rwanda, with Kigali and Nairobi being the prime hotspots.
The first partner to run motorcycles on Ampersand’s network is Wylex Mobility, a Chinese manufacturer that announced its presence at EICMA 2025.
This partnership is the first of its type in Africa, where an incumbent is opening its swapping network for new entrants and partnerships.
The Wylex Roroship motorcycle is powered by an 8.0 kW mid-drive motor. The motor has an integrated gearbox with the final drive through a chain. The seat length of 880 mm and a 200 kg payload are designed with African loading requirements in mind. long steel-reinforced seat, and a total carrying capacity of 250 kg (about 550 lbs). The top speed is rated at 80 kph.
Meanwhile, AMpersand’s own Alpha motorcycles continue to be deployed in Rwanda and Kenya.
Ampersand Energy delivers more than 20,000 battery swaps a day across Rwanda and Kenya. The company uses. a self-designed LFP pack of 3.24 kWh capacity. The swapping stations are manual assist, as is the norm with many African players.
Impact
This is a great move. It opens the doors for some form of collaboration in Africa. Many electric motorcycle startups are trying to solve the African requirements in their own way. We have also noticed that access to capital for expansion remains dim in the very promising market. This ‘sharing of resources’ would make things easier for everyone in the highly contested market. It eases the motorcycle-related CAPEX burden on participants, allowing them to deploy the capital into batteries.
It is also interesting that most African electric motorcycle startups, including Ampersand, consider themselves energy players. So, more vehicles being deployed on an energy network that already exists is always welcome. This draws a parallel to Gogoro, where the Taiwanese scooter manufacturer allows access to its swapping network to other manufacturers. However, in Gogoro’s case, it also offers its complete hardware stack for other manufacturers to build upon. In the past, we have been critical of Gogoro for this (here, here, here, and here). However, the sharing model may be much more suitable for funding-strapped Africa.
Management Statements
“This is a landmark moment for Africa’s electric transport sector. We’ve created a top-tier energy infrastructure that any vehicle partner meeting our quality standards can join. Ampersand is the first and only company in Africa to offer an open battery swap network. This development will dramatically accelerate electric transportation in East Africa.” – Josh Whale, Ampersand CEO.
“The Wylex has a unique design that was purpose-built for African commerce. With 27 years of engineering, Wylex delivers stronger, longer-lasting performance for riders. We’re particularly excited to launch it with Ampersand. Their strong customer focus and reliable swap network made them the ideal partner for our entry into the region. – Eileen, CEO of Wylex Mobility.
“We constantly listen to our customers, who have told us they want a wider range of vehicles that still meet Ampersand’s uncompromising quality standards. Today’s partnership means just that: more vehicle options on the region’s most reliable batteries and fastest, best-performing swap network. As for manufacturers, Ampersand Energy has just opened the door to integrate into the world’s fastest-growing market. Moving forward, more quality brands from around the world will be able to plug into our network without having to build the energy infrastructure from scratch. – Josh Whale, Ampersand CEO.