One Electric Commences Manufacturing In Kenya, Eyes Further African Expansion

Mumbai-based electric two-wheeler startup One Electric has started production of its EV motorcycles in Kenya as part of its larger overseas expansion plan.

One Electric has set up a joint venture with a Kenyan vehicle manufacturing company to begin production of its Kridn motorcycles, as per an ET report. For now, the components, tech and technical know-how are coming from India.

Local manufacturing will help the startup scale its operations faster in Africa and provide localised after-sales service. The startup is also preparing to start production at a second plant in Kenya, with production set to begin in two months, the report said.

“Our engineers are overseeing the training and production of our motorcycles in Kenya to ensure our standards,” Gaurav Uppal, CEO of One Electric, was cited as saying. The CEO added that the startup was on track to complete the first production batch within two weeks.

The move is part of the startup’s plans to have multiple manufacturing locations across Africa and Asia, the CEO said. According to Uppal, the EV manufacturer will start localisation in a phased manner, as per the viability of the local industry, starting with parts like handlebars, stands and carriers. 

Once the local ecosystem develops, the startup will increase its localisation in Kenya.

The startup also has plans to set up a battery manufacturing plant in Africa by the end of the year. After Africa, One Electric is looking to expand into other markets like South America and Southeast Asia and has already started talks with local partners.

One Electric, founded in 2019, manufactures four vehicles under its Kridn range of bikes for intracity commuting. One Electric claims to have sold vehicles across six countries and has partnered with Indian OEMs to manufacture electric bikes and source parts.

The startup competes with the likes of Ola Electric, Ather, TVS, Hero and dozens of other EV manufacturers specialising in ebikes.

While ebikes are yet to catch up to the popularity of escooters, there are a few Indian OEMs that manufacture EV bikes, including Ultraviolette, Yulu and Kabira Mobility, with Ola Electric set to join the group in 2024 with its set of four bikes announced recently.