NAIROBI, Sept. 15 — Chinese electric two-wheeler manufacturer Yadea has partnered with African electric mobility company Spiro to expand electric motorcycles and battery-swapping infrastructure across the continent, as Chinese electric vehicle exports to Africa continue to rise.
The strategic partnership will combine Yadea’s manufacturing, research and product development capabilities with Spiro’s electric mobility operations and battery-swapping network across seven African countries.
Under the agreement, Yadea will supply electric two-wheelers and related products for Spiro’s African markets, while Spiro will integrate the vehicles into its battery-swapping and energy infrastructure.
The companies will also jointly develop electric two-wheelers specifically adapted to African road conditions and commercial use, potentially strengthening the localisation of electric mobility technology on the continent.
Spiro currently operates more than 130,000 electric motorcycles and over 2,500 battery-swapping stations across seven African countries. The company says its network has completed more than 50 million battery swaps and supported more than two billion kilometres of low-carbon travel.
It also has manufacturing and assembly operations in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda.
Spiro CEO Anant Badjatya said combining Yadea’s manufacturing capacity with Spiro’s operating experience and infrastructure would allow the companies to expand electric mobility more quickly across African markets.
“Africa’s shift to electric mobility is accelerating and this partnership helps us meet that demand at scale,” Badjatya said.
Yadea Senior Vice President Wang Jiazhong said the partnership would combine international innovation with local infrastructure to expand zero-emission transport across Africa.
Founded in China in 2001, Yadea says it has sold more than 100 million electric two-wheelers in over 100 countries and operates 10 production facilities globally. The company also says it holds more than 2,000 patents related to electric vehicle technology.
The partnership comes as Africa records rapid growth in imports of electric motorcycles and three-wheelers from China.
African imports of Chinese electric motorcycles and three-wheelers increased by about 60 percent in the first half of 2026 to US$114.6 million, according to an Associated Press analysis.
While North African markets have accounted for much of the growth in consumer electric scooters, East and West African markets are increasingly developing commercial electric motorcycle systems supported by local assembly and battery-swapping infrastructure.
The Yadea-Spiro partnership will target commercial fleet operators, delivery companies, logistics providers and everyday commuters.
The agreement follows Spiro’s latest US$270 million funding round, which included investment from Chinese fund NewTrails Capital, as the company expands its electric mobility operations across Africa.
Neither company has disclosed the financial value of the partnership or a timetable for the introduction of Yadea vehicles into individual African markets.