Africa’s imports of electric motorcycles and three-wheelers from China rose by 60 percent to 114.6 million dollars in the first half of 2026, driven largely by strong demand in North Africa.
The Increase highlights differing patterns in the continent’s transition to electric mobility, with countries such as Morocco, Egypt and Algeria emerging as major destinations for Chinese-made electric scooters and mopeds.
Two- and three-wheelers make up a significant share of vehicles on African roads and are widely used for commercial transportation. Their transition from petrol and diesel to electric power could help reduce fuel consumption and urban air pollution.
Morocco recorded the highest imports during the period, bringing in 80,188 electric motorcycles and three-wheelers valued at 21.7 million dollars, followed by Egypt and Algeria.
In sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa recorded the highest imports, with 19,635 electric bikes worth 6.9 million dollars.
Electric two- and three-wheeler specialist, Peter Kossakowski, said the figures reflected two distinct markets across Africa.
He said Chinese imports in North Africa were largely electric scooters and mopeds purchased by individuals for commuting and short trips, while motorcycles in East and West Africa were more commonly used as commercial assets for carrying passengers and goods.
Kossakowski said commercial riders could travel up to 150 kilometres daily, making battery-swapping systems particularly important for the sector.
Spiro, described as Africa’s largest electric motorcycle company, has raised more than 348 million dollars in investments over the past year, while other firms are developing local assembly plants, battery-swapping stations and charging networks for motorcycle taxi and delivery services.
Tom Courtright, a non-resident fellow at the African Tech Futures Lab, said Chinese manufacturers supply many electric motorcycles used in East and West Africa, while local companies are adapting the vehicles for commercial operations and developing supporting energy infrastructure.
READ ALSO: Strong Leadership Key To Economic Transformation – Chinese Ambassador
He said battery swapping enables riders to replace depleted batteries quickly instead of waiting for them to recharge, allowing commercial operators to remain on the road and continue earning.
Courtright said electric motorcycles were more likely to replace petrol-powered bikes than expand the overall motorcycle market, although lower operating and maintenance costs could increase demand by about 20 percent.
He said electric motorcycles accounted for about 20 percent of motorcycle sales in Uganda last year and around 15 percent in Kenya.
The transition could also reduce fuel imports, with Courtright estimating that widespread electrification of motorcycles could eventually displace about 600 million dollars in fuel imports in Uganda and between 600 million and 800 million dollars in Kenya.
However, Kossakowski cautioned that Chinese customs data records vehicles entering a country and does not necessarily show how many are registered or used locally.
He said much of the electric motorcycle industry in East and West Africa still relied on assembling imported components rather than manufacturing complete motorcycles locally.
Motors, controllers and battery cells are largely imported, while local production is concentrated on simpler components such as seats, footrests and metal frames.
Kossakowski said the region’s major competitive advantage could instead lie in the emerging supply chain around high-use commercial motorcycles, including battery swapping, financing and servicing.
He, however, warned that fragmented battery and swapping systems could constrain the sector’s growth, as proprietary batteries, connectors and software often prevent riders from using different networks.
He said such closed systems had helped address the range challenge but could limit manufacturing scale and reduce battery resale value.
Court right said the success of Africa’s electric motorcycle transition would depend on affordable financing, reliable electricity, adequate charging and battery-swapping infrastructure, predictable government policies and greater standardisation across markets.
Africanews
