Chinese Electric Bike Imports to Africa Jump 60% to $114.6m in First Half of 2026
By Aboki Forex —
Africa's imports of electric motorcycles and three-wheelers from China rose 60% in the first half of 2026 to $114.6 million, according to new trade data reported on Thursday, September 10, 2026, from Nairobi, Kenya. The surge exposes a clear divide in how the continent is adopting electric vehicles.
Two and three-wheelers carry a large share of African road traffic and are used heavily for commercial work. Replacing petrol and diesel engines with electric ones could cut fuel consumption and urban air pollution.
North Africa Leads on Imports
Morocco, Egypt and Algeria drove the increase, making North Africa a major destination for fully built Chinese electric scooters. Morocco led all countries in the first half with 80,188 units worth $21.7 million, followed by Egypt and Algeria.
In sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa recorded the highest imports at 19,635 electric bikes worth $6.9 million.
Peter Kossakowski, an independent electric two and three-wheeler specialist who has worked across Africa, said the gap reflects two different markets.
"In North Africa, Chinese imports are largely electric scooters and mopeds bought by consumers for commuting and short trips," he said.
In East and West Africa, he noted, motorcycles are more often commercial assets. Riders use them for up to 150 kilometres, about 100 miles, a day to carry passengers and goods.
East and West Africa Build for Riders
Investment in EV startups is concentrated in East and Central Africa, where firms are setting up local assembly plants, battery-swapping networks and commercial motorcycle ecosystems.
Spiro, described as Africa's largest EV bike firm, raised more than $348 million in investments over the past year. Other companies are putting money into local assembly, battery swapping and charging networks aimed at motorcycle taxi and delivery markets.
Tom Courtright, a non-resident fellow at the African Tech Futures Lab, said Chinese manufacturers supply many of the electric motorcycles used in East and West Africa, but local companies adapt them for commercial work and run the energy infrastructure.
Battery swapping lets commercial riders replace depleted batteries instead of waiting for a motorcycle to recharge, a model suited to riders who depend on the bikes for daily earnings, he said.
Where the Naira Comes In
Courtright said electric motorcycles are more likely to replace petrol bikes than to expand the overall market, though lower running and maintenance costs could lift demand by about 20%.
The shift is already visible. Electric motorcycles accounted for about 20% of motorcycle sales in Uganda last year and roughly 15% in Kenya, he said.
For Nigerian businesses, the numbers point to a model already familiar in West Africa, where okada and delivery riders work long hours and battery swapping matters more than charging speed. Import costs remain the swing factor, and with the naira under pressure, the dollar value of Chinese units will shape how quickly local assembly and swap networks can scale.