COTONOU, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Shrouded in exhaust fumes, Arouna Gdamassi slid silently among the many bikes swarming by rush hour visitors in Benin’s business capital Cotonou.
The 40-year-old casual dealer is the proud new proprietor of an electrical two-wheeler made by India-based firm M Auto, which launched bikes in West African neighbours Benin and Togo this 12 months.
“It is rather sensible. Much less noise, much less air pollution,” mentioned Gdamassi, perched on his inexperienced and yellow electrical moped as different mopeds bumped over the rocky highway behind him.
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M Auto has bought over 2,000 e-mopeds in West Africa since Could and goals to have greater than 15,000 on African roads by year-end.
“We needed to begin in West Africa as a result of there may be already this tradition of two-wheel transport,” mentioned M Auto CEO Shegun Bakari, who estimates that some 80 million Africans are common bike customers.
Rising gasoline costs and issues over deteriorating air high quality in city centres are fuelling demand for electrical two-wheelers amongst commuters, M Auto says.
Individuals gesture as they put together to check “Chap Chap” electrical motorbikes in entrance of the M Auto headquarters in Cotonou, Benin September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Coffi Seraphin Zounyekpe
When the battery runs low, riders don’t have to cease and recharge however merely exchange it for 1,000 CFA francs ($1.45) at one among M Auto’s 14 swapping stations in Cotonou.
However whereas non-public customers are taking the bait, the established military of moto-taxi drivers that carry residents across the metropolis is proving more durable to persuade.
Some have been involved about having to plan routes round battery factors slightly than filling up from contraband petrol distributors discovered on nearly each road nook.
David Sodjo, 30, famous {that a} full tank of petrol would price him 3,900 CFA francs ($5.65) on the black market and final a minimum of 4 days – far longer than an M Auto battery, which dies after round 100 kilometres.
“I may purchase it for my spouse to go grocery purchasing,” mentioned the taxi driver. “It’s fairly, however I feel it’s extra for leisure than work.”
($1 = 689.9400 CFA francs)
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Reporting by Pulcherie Adjoha and Seraphin Zounyekpe; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Enhancing by Estelle Shirbon, Alexandra Hudson
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