Better known in Europe, particularly in Austria where its electric bike and scooter factory is based, Horwin is launching a joint venture with start-up Spiro to conquer the African ecomobility market.
Confirmed. The mobility start-up Spiro which operates in Benin, Togo and Rwanda (soon in Uganda) is joining forces with the Austrian company Horwin. Together, the two companies have just set up a joint venture specialising in the manufacture of bicycles and electric batteries in Africa. The initiative, which is expected to create 5,000 local jobs, will also help to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on the continent.
“This is an important step for both our platforms, as we will be increasing our production capacity to meet the growing demand for electric mobility solutions in African countries. With Horwin, we will certainly be redefining the future of urban transport”, says Jules Samain, CEO of Spiro, which intends to set up several factories with an annual capacity of up to 100,000 bicycles and 500,000 batteries before the end of 2023.
According to its head of Strategic Sourcing, the creation of this joint venture will also contribute to the development of local economies. “The aim is to promote technological advances while providing efficient, environmentally-friendly transport solutions to African communities in a context marked by pollution”, explains Rohit Pandita.
Read also-DRC: Local battery production would reduce EV emissions by 30
This collaboration comes after the start-up, which was founded in 2019, entered into a partnership with Chinese manufacturer Ampace Technology to supply 1,000 lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells. This will enable Spiro to accelerate its project with the Ugandan authorities to deploy 140,000 electric motorbikes and install a network of 3,000 battery exchange stations in Kampala.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
