Ampersand and CrossBoundary Energy to launch solar-powered e-bike charging stations & batteries

Ampersand and CrossBoundary Energy are launching electric bike charging charging stations in Nairobi starting with 36 electric charging units and 150 lithium-ion batteries suitable for E2W vehicles, charged by a 37kWp solar PV system.

Ampersand, which currently operates nearly 1000 electric motorbikes across Kenya and 3000 in Rwanda. It’s partnership with CrossBoundary Energy will help more users utilize charging stations and batteries at an affordable tariff, enabling it to scale more quickly and even more sustainably.

According to Hezbon Mose, Kenya Country Director at Ampersand, “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.”

CrossBoundary Energy’s expertise in offering off-balance sheet distributed energy solutions that reduce operational costs is tailor-made for the expansion of the e-mobility sector in the region. Last month, CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) signed an agreement with iSAT Africa to finance renewable energy solutions for telecom sites providing rural connectivity services across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. iSAT specializes in connectivity, mobile, and satellite solutions to rural and underserved markets.

In the same month, its arm CrossBoundary Access partnered with Nigeria’s MOPO to commission the first CrossBoundary-funded MOPO solar-powered hubs into communities across Nigeria to provide energy access to approximately 300,000 people in Nigeria, and these Hubs are the first of a network of 90 to be installed by the end of 2024.

MOPO Hubs are innovative solar power stations managed by a network of local agents who rent out MOPO batteries to customers on a pay-per-use basis. By integrating MOPO Hubs into CrossBoundary Access projects, the partnership is accelerating its mission to bridge the energy gap in Nigeria.

Two-wheelers are a popular and significant transportation segment in Africa, often used for taxis or delivery services. Due to widespread commercial use and comparable affordability to imported EV cars, E2Ws are projected to account for up to 70% of total EV sales in Africa by 2040. However, the high capital investment required to set up charging stations and the lack of charging infrastructure can hinder E2W adoption in Kenya. Together with Ampersand’s existing network of energy infrastructure for commercial electric motorbikes, CrossBoundary’s solution provides an off balance sheet option that can reduce operating costs for E2W providers.

Tombo Banda, Managing Director and Head of CrossBoundary’s Innovation Lab said, “This launch is exciting for many reasons –and 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.”