- Electric mobility start-up, Zembo, has announced the installation of four solar hybrid charging stations along the Kampala-Masaka axis, Uganda.
- The installations will provide electric motorbike drivers with an opportunity to increase their daily income and contribute to improving air quality in the East African country.
Each of these stations will also be outfitted with six new electric motorcycles, according to Zembo. This will also result in the creation of 20 technical jobs. The small start-up created in 2019 by Étienne Saint-Sernin and Daniel Dreher conducts10,000 battery replacements each month owing to its 27 charging stations, with 250 electric motorbikes carrying 800 passengers daily. A service allows each driver to save up to 3 euros on gasoline while also avoiding 276 kg CO2 emissions.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), a German international development cooperation agency, and Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO), a renewable energy funding program supported by the Ikea Foundation and UK Aid, have contributed to the start-up’s new facilities. The Carbon Trust and Energy 4 impact are in charge of implementing PREO.
According to Zembo’s operations manager, Titus Kimbowa, “Zembo’s strategy is to position itself as one of the country’s leading battery exchange operators by creating a national network of charging stations, including in off-grid areas where it is difficult for drivers to find affordable fuel and even harder to find electricity. In addition, solar has the advantage of being available everywhere in Uganda, which means that additional stations can be set up everywhere.”
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
