Early this year, President Museveni allowed for a waiver on VAT for electric motorcycles, enabling dealers to sell these bikes at almost the same price as their fuel engine counterparts. That decision alone has seen an explosion of electric motorcycles on the road.
By some estimates, there are at least 1,000 electric motorcycles on Kampala’s roads alone. There are three types of electric motorcycles – Zembo, Spiro and Gogo, which mostly depend on the availability of a charged battery to move.
The Zembo and Spiro motorcycles average a range of between 50km and 75km per charge, depending on the rider’s mannerisms on the road. The faster it moves, the more it consumes battery power. The Gogo motorcycle, which is more robust, has a range of between 100km and 150km per charge.
Most of the riders, who have acquired these motorcycles say they are cheaper to maintain, as they don’t have to incur some of the more delicate but mandatory costs such as servicing, since they don’t have an engine.
However, their counterparts, who maintain fuel motorcycles, say they are held back from buying electric motorcycles by the shortage of charging stations for the batteries.
According to them, the shortage of charging stations, makes traveling long distances, akin to taking serious risks. They view the proliferation of fuel stations across the country as reason to stick with fuel powered bikes, even in the face of higher maintenance costs.
Each of these electric motorcycles can be charged for between Shs6,000 and Shs8,000 at the nearly 200 charging stations, spread around the country.
By contrast, there is a fuel station within a 50km radius of any peri-urban area; and in some cases even 100 metres in the more urban areas. The cost of charging an electric motorcycle is slightly more than buying a litre of fuel, which gives the rider of a motorcycle, less than 15km of range.
So this raises the question – would it be more economical to ride an electric motorcycle or a fuel one? Comparing a battery charge of Shs6,000, which offers 100km of range, and the same cost for less than 22km on a fuel motorcycle, leaves the shortage of battery charging points as the only excuse for maintaining a fuel motorbike.
So, if it looks compelling for motorcycle riders to embrace electric bikes, why are fuel stations not looking at the option of setting up charging stations?
The short-sided approach to the problem has compelled dealers of electric bikes to set up their own charging stations, even if they remain too few to deal with the growing demand. It looks like fuel stations are walking into a problem with their eyes closed.
If for instance, the dealers of electric bikes are able to set up 1,000 electric charging stations within this year, what will stop a major disruption to fuel station business, if the owners of vehicles begin their own transition to electric cars?
So, if it looks compelling for motorcycle riders to embrace electric bikes, why are fuel stations not looking at the option of setting up charging stations? The short-sided approach to the problem has compelled dealers of electric bikes to set up their own charging stations, even if they remain too few to deal with the growing demand.
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