A2EI partners with Greenfoot Africa

We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Greenfoot Africa, a recently launched Tanzania-based startup providing a 100% electric motorcycle pickup and delivery service.

Greenfoot is aiming to prototype a sustainable and affordable solution for Africa’s transport problems. Over 40% of Africans live in urban areas where underdeveloped road and public transport infrastructure result in congested cities. Faced with slow-moving traffic, Africans have turned to motorcycles for 75% of their transport needs.

Although the affordability and agility of motorcycles make them ideal for African consumers, they emit huge amounts of pollutants: 16 times more hydrocarbons, 3 times more carbon monoxide, and a disproportionately high amount of other air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions compared to passenger vehicles.

Greenfoot Africa’s vision is to lead Africa’s transition to electric mobility and reduce congestion and pollution in African cities. It aims to empower local businesses to go green and be more efficient by providing smart services powered by electric motorcycles and other light vehicles. The service will be enhanced by data analytics, geo-tracking, and mobile and web-based applications.

Greenfoot’s pilot project aims to establish a proof of concept for the commercial use of electric vehicles in urban areas, starting with electric motorcycles offering pick-up and delivery services in Arusha. Customers will make their orders through Greenfoot’s online platform, which handles order disbursement and payment processes. Riders can easily recharge their bikes by swapping the battery at the Greenfoot hub.

The A2EI is supporting Greenfoot with technical and research expertise. Over a 6-month pilot period, data will be collected on the utilization of electric vehicles and demand for services. We strive to gather reliable data on the electric motorcycles’ usage patterns, what their charging costs and challenges are, and which energy mix is most viable for the electric transport sector. In the future, the A2EI aims for life-cycle assessments of the electric motorcycle transport model, analyzing the motorcycle’s carbon footprint in terms of production, transport and recycling challenges.

The private sector will play an important role in the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, but the market is still at an early stage. The A2EI empowers entrepreneurs to explore nascent technologies and innovative business models, but captures those learnings to benefit the sector. By working closely with Greenfoot Africa as an exciting example of an affordable electric transport service, we are analyzing the business model’s viability to substitute the millions of fuel-powered motorcycles currently operating on East Africa’s roads – and thus help pave the way towards a zero-carbon transport economy.

Learn more about Greenfoot: www.greenfootgo.com