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They are set to supply the country’s burgeoning electric motorcycle market
A hundred electric motorcycle battery swap stations are set to be launched within a year in Ethiopia, with plans to expand this to 300 over the next three years.
The venture is being anchored by a partnership between Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) – the government’s investment arm – and Dodai, the Addis Ababa-based electric motorcycle firm, founded by Japanese entrepreneur Yuma Sasaki.
EIH said Dodai plans to offer e-motor riders the opportunity to quickly exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones, lowering downtime and is expected to create 100,000 jobs for the youth.
Building a battery infrastructure network in Addis
Brook Taye, EIH CEO and Yuma Sasaki, Dodai founder and CEO, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in October.
Yuma said the focus is on building a battery swap network for electric motorbikes, intending to expand to include electric buses in the future.
As the sovereign wealth fund and the government’s investment arm, Brook noted the strategic alignment of the initiative with EIH’s plan to “diversify into investments in alternative energy sources and scalable ventures, positioning portfolios like Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) for sustainable financial returns.”
“We’re committed to investing in initiatives that create jobs and contribute to a green economy,” he said.
With about 33 state-owned enterprises under its wing, Brook said EIH works on portfolio optimisation, identifying gaps in the service delivery and investment potential.
Producing e-bikes to feed into battery swap stations in Ethiopia
Dodai assembles electric scooters at its 200 unit per month capacity facility in Addis Ababa.
In April, ESI Africa reported that Dodai Manufacturing Plc was established as a foreign venture in Addis Ababa on 1 August 2023 and had raised more than $6.2 million from Japanese investors.
The firm claims its 3.3kwH lithium battery charged e-bikes can reach a top speed of 60km and run anywhere between 120-150 km on a single charge with a top load capacity of up to 150kg.
Dodai has sold more than 500 electric bikes to date, primarily to gig economy workers like delivery drivers, who benefit from the reduced running costs of electric models compared to their fuel-powered counterparts. |
