African electric vehicle (EV) energy tech company, Ampersand, has announced the opening of a new, larger manufacturing facility in Nairobi, tripling the company’s production capacity in Kenya.
This strategic expansion aims to enable the company to meet the rapidly increasing demand for electric motorcycles in the country, where over 1,150 Ampersand e-motos are already in operation.
The new factory spans 21,000 square metres, making it over three times larger than the previous 6,500 square metre site.
This significant upgrade, coupled with the deployment of over 100 staff, seeks to allow Ampersand to assemble up to 60 electric motorcycles per day, or 1,440 per month, as well as to continue delivering the most trusted battery swap network for Kenya’s millions of commercial motorcycle riders.
According to a presser by the company, Ampersand’s sustainable EV solutions cut carbon emissions and offer significant savings to riders.
The company said every Ampersand e-moto avoids at least 2 mt CO2e per bike per year and, on average, increases customer income by 45% annually, a vital benefit for Kenyan riders, who each support an average of 3.8 people at home.
“The enhanced Kenyan operation, combined with the company’s successful model in Rwanda where it has spearheaded the adoption of electric motorcycles, lays a strong foundation for its continued expansion across East Africa,” the company said.
“Currently, Ampersand’s fleet of heavy-duty commercial e-motos and smart, AI-optimised battery fleet covers over 4.5 million kilometres per week in Kigali and Nairobi combined.”
This latest scaling positions the company to meet the growing demand for electric motorcycles, not just in Kenya but across East Africa, where 100 million people depend largely on petrol motorcycles for taxi or delivery services.
Ampersand aims to deploy 5 million electric motorcycles by 2033.
Ampersand CEO Josh Whale said the new Nairobi facility is a major step forward in both scale and impact.
He added that it reflects Ampersand’s dedication to providing sustainable, affordable EV solutions that directly benefit riders and the environment.
“With this expanded capacity, we’re in a stronger position to support the electrification of Africa’s commercial motorcycle transport and to scale Ampersand’s proven business model,” Whale said.
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