Electric Motorcycles Reach 15.3% Market Share Of New Registrations In Kenya In 2025

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Good things are happening in Africa, especially in the electric vehicle sector. We are starting to see significant traction in a number of countries on the African continent. In Ethiopia, a total ban on the import of fully built ICE cars has resulted in an incredible increase in the number of electric vehicles on the roads. In Senegal, a ground-breaking 100% electric rapid bus transit service is up and running. A number of countries are also pushing for adoption of electric buses. Over 90% of all vehicles imported in most African countries come in as used vehicles. With the growing number of used electric vehicles in Europe, China, and America, we are also starting to see a lot more used EVs coming to West, East, Central, and Southern Africa.

One of the hottest topics in Africa at the moment, however, is the rise and rise of the electric motorcycle sector. Motorcycles are a really big deal in a lot of African countries, with most of them deployed as taxis. Close to 30 million motorcycles on the continent are used in this motorcycle taxi industry. With almost 99% of them still being internal combustion engine motorcycles, there is a huge opportunity and a large addressable market for electrification. The move towards electric vehicles in Africa, especially in this electric motorcycle sector, has mainly been driven by the private sector by small startup companies. All these companies need to be commended and supported as they are breaking new barriers and doing well in a tough environment.

We have an exciting update from one of the key markets in this electric mobility transition — Kenya! Registrations of electric motorcycles surged again in 2025 following a breakthrough year in 2024. In 2023, there were 70,691 motorcycles sold in Kenya in the overall market, and 2,557 of these were electric. That means 3.6% of motorcycles sold in 2023 in Kenya were electric. That is almost 4%. So, we did not expect it to be long before the market share reached the critical 5%, which is generally viewed as the tipping point indicating the start of mass adoption. The share of electric motorcycles had risen to 3.6% in 2023 from 2.8% in 2022 and 0.5% in 2021. 2024 was even better as the market share surged to 7.1%. The KNBS Economic Survey Report (2025) shows that 68,804 new motorcycles were registered in Kenya in 2024. Of these, 4,862 motorcycles were electric, according to data presented by the Electric Mobility Association of Kenya (EMAK). That is where the 7.1% market share comes from.

2025 was even better as the market share of electric motorcycles reached a whopping 15.3%. This is really awesome, especially given the fact that just about 8 years ago only 44 electric motorcycles were registered in the whole country! The overall motorcycle market was up 145% from 68,804 motorcycles in 2024 to 168,286 in 2025. With 25,277 of motorcycles registered in Kenya in 2025 being electric, it means 15.3% of all new motorcycle restorations in Kenya in 2025 were electric.How cool is that! With over 2 million internal combustion engine motorcycles registered in Kenya, the opportunity to electrify the sector is massive. The 145% increase in sales in the overall market points to an improving environment following the recent slump in sales. With growing interest and awareness in electric motorcycles, now is the time to support all the companies that are active in Kenya’s electric motorcycle space and take advantage of the momentum.

New motorcycle registrations in Kenya in 2025, including ICE and electric motorcycles. Source: KNBS

It is quite easy to spot electric motorcycles in Nairobi, as shown in this video.

It is also important to accelerate the adoption of electric motor vehicles in Kenya’s largest vehicle segment to reduce emissions. Kenya’s grid is already exceptionally clean. Renewables provide around 90% of Kenya’s electricity generation. By gradually increasing the penetration of electric motorcycles in Kenya, significant savings in CO2 emissions can be achieved. This can be achieved by incentivizing purchases of new electric motorbikes and more importantly supporting all the active companies in Kenya’s electric motorcycle sector.