I’m hearing a lot of confusion around Rwanda’s new e-mobility policy and the “interoperability” clause. I want to address what this actually means for Riders, e-mobility companies, investors and lenders funding our industry.
Last month, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) released Regulation Nº 011/ENERGY/RURA/2026, governing EV charging infrastructure and battery swapping. Confusion centers around Article 22 on “interoperability” of battery swapping systems. When many hear “interoperability”, they assume that Rwanda is imposing a single battery format on all companies, and that Riders will soon be able to swap any battery at any station.
That is not what Article 22 says.
Article 22 requires that electric motorcycles originally built for one battery swapping network can be converted to operate on a different battery network at the Rider’s election. For example, if one battery swap operator shuts down, fails to meet minimum service standards, or if a Rider simply wants better batteries and services, with some basic modifications to their motorbike, that Rider can move to another licensed provider. Riders will no longer be locked into a network for the life of their bike. Companies have two years to build the capacity and processes to enable this conversion.
The bottom line is, RURA and The Rwanda Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) have delivered a thoughtful e-mobility policy with the clear objective to improve services provided to Riders, and establish basic standards for all battery swap operations in Rwanda. It sets reasonable standards for station licensing and safety and offers genuine consumer protection for Riders.
This is clearly an excellent approach to “interoperability”. Battery technology is not all equal, and trying to force batteries to become a fluid commodity like petrol would devastate innovation and financial returns. Batteries differ enormously in range, durability, safety, and cost per kilometre, and those differences are exactly where companies like ours invest and innovate. When companies differentiate motorbikes and batteries and give Riders options, we empower our customers. A forced common battery would significantly diminish the financial returns for investors, freeze battery innovation, and take the power of choice away from Riders.
Ampersand has worked hard over the last 8 years to design the best battery, to offer the best possible swap experience to Riders, and to build the most capital efficient swap network in the industry. Article 22 creates a reasonable mechanism for Riders to move to a higher quality swap provider if their current provider isn’t delivering. Policies like this protect customers, reward the companies that innovate, and push the whole industry forward.
This new RURA policy is why Rwanda leads the continent in electric transport. Ampersand applauds the work RURA and MININFRA have done to understand the realities of our industry, and to protect Riders and their investments. We hope other countries follow this policy.
To Riders across Rwanda: If you want quicker swaps, a more reliable battery, and a team that shows up for you every day, Ampersand continues to focus on excellence for our Riders, and we will welcome you to our network. And please know that RURA is doing the hard work to understand this complex industry and protect your interests.
To our investors: This is what a maturing market looks like; regulations that reward quality, a focus on customers’ well being, and support for innovation. Ampersand has never been more committed to our drivers. This has been our DNA since our founding, and we encourage you to invest in quality.
I offer this letter with thanks to our Drivers, our dedicated and talented staff, our investors, and RURA for their continued leadership across Africa.
Michael Barton
CEO, Ampersand