EV Maker Ampersand Expands Capacity with New Facility in Kenya
TLDR
- Ampersand opens new EV manufacturing facility in Nairobi, Kenya, with a 21,000-square-meter site and over 100 employees.
- The startup operates 1,100 e-motos traveling over 4.5 million kilometers weekly between Kigali and Nairobi, partnering with BYD and raising $19.5 million.
- Ampersand aims to deploy 5 million electric motorcycles by 2033, boosting production to assemble 60 e-motos daily and 1,440 monthly to expand its battery swap network in East Africa.
Ampersand, an electric vehicle (EV) startup, has opened a new manufacturing facility in Nairobi, Kenya, significantly expanding its capacity. The new factory spans 21,000 square meters, more than three times the size of its previous 6,500-square-meter site, and employs over 100 staff.
Ampersand currently operates over 1,100 e-motos, which travel more than 4.5 million kilometers per week between Kigali and Nairobi. It has a partnership with Chinese giant BYD and recently raised $19.5 million. The startup aims to deploy 5 million electric motorcycles by 2033.
With this expansion, Ampersand will be able to assemble up to 60 electric motorcycles (e-motos) per day, or 1,440 per month, supporting its growing battery swap network across East Africa.
Key Takeaways
Ampersand is one of several companies leading the EV charge in Kenya. BasiGo recently launched its electric bus assembly line, while M-KOPA and Bolt have partnered to introduce over 5,000 electric bikes. Zeno, another EV company, raised $9.5 million in 2024 to launch swappable battery technology by 2025. The Kenyan government is showing support for the industry, with a draft National E-mobility Policy expected to encourage local EV production and assembly.
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