Kigali, Rwanda – 15 May 2024 – Spiro, Africa's largest electric vehicle (EV) player, celebrated a significant milestone yesterday with the launch of its first automated swap station in Kigali. The event, held at Spiro's main showroom, marked the beginning of a series of six automated swap stations set to revolutionize the EV landscape in Rwanda.
The launch event, attended by VIPs including Mr. Faustin Munyazikwiye, Deputy Director General of REMA (Rwanda Environment Management Authority), was a testament to Spiro’s progress since its arrival in Rwanda one year ago. The celebration coincided with the CEO Conference, where Spiro also had a notable presence, underscoring its commitment to sustainable transportation solutions in the region.
Spiro's Country Head, Arun Bhandari explains to Deputy Director General of REMA Mr. Faustin Munyazikwiye how motorbike taxi drivers can swap batteries in less than a minute with the new Smart Swapping Stations
At 11:40 am, Mr. Arun, alongside the Guest of Honour, Mr. Faustin Munyazikwiye, ceremonially cut the ribbon, officially inaugurating the automated swap station. This was followed by a demonstration of the first live swap with one of Spiro’s current riders, showcasing the seamless and efficient battery swapping process. The event concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Arun, emphasizing the importance of this advancement for Spiro and the community.
Mr. Arun Bhandari, Spiro's Country Head in Rwanda thanks partners from government, finance and business who attended the launch of the new Swapping Station in Kigali.
Mr. Faustin Munyazikwiye praised Spiro's efforts: "We celebrate with Spiro the achievements they have made over the last year in Kigali. The Government of Rwanda has launched many initiatives to promote the green economy, and we need to see operations like Spiro continue to expand. Some of the challenges that electric vehicles have faced include the distance between charging stations, the positioning of charging stations, as well as the capacity and lifecycle of the batteries. That's why we are very pleased to see the arrival of Spiro's Smart Swapping stations, which will be a solution to many of these challenges in the future. We look forward to Spiro's success and growth as the government remains committed to supporting more sustainable transportation like Spiro."
Kaushik Burman, CEO of Spiro, commented on the launch: "The introduction of automated swap stations in Kigali marks a significant step forward in our mission to enhance urban mobility and reduce environmental impact. This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and partners."
Arun Bhandari, Head of Spiro Rwanda, added: "Our new automated swap station is designed to provide convenience and efficiency for our riders. This infrastructure will support our growing network of swapping and charging stations, as well as a home charging option to ensure that we continue to offer reliable and cost-effective transportation solutions."
In Africa, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation are growing at a rate of 7% each year. Air pollution is the second biggest killer across the continent, associated with heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Around 1.1 million people die prematurely from air pollution in Africa each year.
Notes to Editors:
- Spiro is pioneering a Pan-African smart energy ecosystem, with the latest partnership with Mogo Uganda highlighting its commitment to sustainable mobility solutions.
- The introduction of home charging solutions and smart automated swap stations in Uganda demonstrates Spiro's commitment to technological innovation and user convenience.
- With over 14,000 electric motorbikes and 40,000 swappable batteries in operation across Benin, Togo, Rwanda, and Kenya, Spiro is at the forefront of Africa's transition to sustainable transportation.
- Spiro's innovative battery swapping technology offers a cleaner, smarter, and more efficient travel alternative, underscoring the company's focus on safety and customer satisfaction.
- With over 8 million battery swaps, and over 600 swap stations, Spiro's battery swapping model is pivotal to its operations, ensuring a seamless EV user experience.
- Spiro riders have collectively driven almost a quarter of a BILLION KM without polluting Earth's atmosphere.
About Spiro:
Spiro is the largest electric vehicle company in Africa, with over 14,000 bikes, over 9 million swaps in five countries. Operating across multiple African nations, Spiro's mission is to reduce environmental impact and enhance urban mobility, build an integrated EV ecosystem in Africa with a multitude of partners and establish a wide range of charging infrastructure which includes battery swapping and direct charging.