NAIROBI, Kenya — Today Ampersand Energy announced a partnership to run the Wylex electric motorcycle on its batteries and existing swap network across East Africa. This marks a major step forward for Ampersand, Africa’s first electric transport company, and for Wylex Mobility, a leading electric motorcycle manufacturer. The partnership makes Ampersand Energy the first and only electric transport company in Africa to open its batteries and swap network to third-party vehicle manufacturers.
“This is a landmark moment for Africa’s electric transport sector," said Josh Whale, Ampersand CEO. “We’ve created a top-tier energy infrastructure that any vehicle partner meeting our quality standards can join. Ampersand is the first and only company in Africa to offer an open battery swap network. This development will dramatically accelerate electric transportation in East Africa.”
The Wylex has a unique design that was purpose-built for African commerce. “With 27 years of engineering, Wylex delivers stronger, longer-lasting performance for riders,” says Eileen Huang, CEO of Wylex Mobility. “We’re particularly excited to launch it with Ampersand. Their strong customer focus and reliable swap network made them the ideal partner for our entry into the region.”
The workhorse Wylex vehicle features a powerful 8000 W motor, a 88 cm long steel-reinforced seat, and a total carrying capacity of 200 kg (about 440 lbs). Having passed Ampersand’s stringent testing and quality control standards, the Wylex motorbike is natural fit for the East African market and a strong complement to Ampersand’s existing Alpha fleet of motorcycles. Alpha Mk1 bikes already clock a million kilometres daily—equal to about 100 Africas end to end.
“We constantly listen to our customers, who have told us they want a wider range of vehicles that still meet Ampersand’s uncompromising quality standards. Today’s partnership means just that: more vehicle options on the region’s most reliable batteries and fastest, best-performing swap network,” Whale added. “As for manufacturers, Ampersand Energy has just opened the door to integrate into the world’s fastest growing market. Moving forward, more quality brands from around the world will be able to plug into our network without having to build the energy infrastructure from scratch.”
Ampersand Energy delivers more than 20,000 battery swaps a day across Rwanda and Kenya. With the continent's most advanced battery technology, Ampersand’s network is built for speed and reliability. To date, the company has powered more than 400 million kilometres of travel, proving battery swapping is a safe, practical fit for commercial two-wheel transport in East Africa.
About Ampersand
Ampersand is Africa’s first electric motorcycle manufacturer, and its leading EV energy tech company; cutting carbon emissions & driving clean economic prosperity by making our EV energy technology and infrastructure accessible to the mass market.
Ampersand’s fleet of over 8000 batteries cost less to run, delivering life-changing savings for its customers, cleaning up air quality and improving people’s health. The company is further scaling its climate-led innovation and customer-centric services to more businesses and markets.
Ampersand has rewritten how Africa moves.
Media Contact:
Brady Grimes
Chief Strategy and Growth Officer
Ampersand Energy
+254 742 717 876