ROAM HOSTS GLOBAL CLIMATE LEADERS AT KENYA'S LARGEST EV PLANT TO ADVANCE CLEAN MOBILITY
- Roam hosts the C40 Cities delegation at Roam Park, Kenya's largest electric vehicle plant for a facility tour and strategic discussions on the future of clean urban transport.
- The visit underscores the importance of collaborations between global climate leaders and private-sector innovators like Roam to accelerate clean urban mobility in Africa.
- Following its successful entry into Thika, Roam announce plans to expand into other major towns starting this first quarter of 2025, making electric mobility more accessible across Kenya.
- Roam also announced its fast-charging battery launching this year, which will halve charging times and costs, boosting efficiency and convenience for Kenya's electric motorcycles.
Roam, Kenya’s leading electric mobility company, hosted a high-profile delegation from C40 Cities at its headquarters, Roam Park, as part of the ongoing Green & Resilient UrbanShift Africa Forum happening in Nairobi. This visit at the 10,000-square-metre facility, the largest electric motorcycle assembly plant in East Africa, provided a unique opportunity for key stakeholders in climate action and urban sustainability to explore Roam’s cutting-edge solutions for clean and efficient urban transport.
C40 Cities, a global network of nearly 100 mayors from the world’s most influential cities, is dedicated to confronting the climate crisis through bold policies and innovative partnerships. The UrbanShift Africa Forum has brought together more than 250 African city leaders, policymakers, investors, and business executives in Nairobi to discuss resilient urban planning, sustainable investment, and climate action.
With Africa’s cities expanding rapidly and facing extreme climate risks, the visit to Roam Park highlighted the critical role of clean mobility in shaping a sustainable future for urban centers. During the tour, Roam executives provided insights into the company’s expansion strategy and advancements in battery technology to promote clean transport.
Following its successful entry into Thika in November 2024, Roam announced plans to expand further, with major launches set for March and April 2025 in additional Kenyan cities. This strategic growth underscores Roam’s mission to make electric mobility more accessible nationwide.
Habib Lukaya, Roam’s Energy and Charging Manager, showcased the company’s latest battery technology developments. Roam Air electric motorcycles currently operate with a 160-200 km range dual battery, but Roam revealed a breakthrough: a fast-charging battery set to launch in the first half of 2025. This innovation will cut charging costs and charging times by nearly half, drastically improving the efficiency and convenience of electric motorcycle usage in Kenya.
“This new battery innovation will transform the rider experience by minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency,” said Lukaya. “As we expand, we are prioritizing infrastructure and technology that meet the needs of our customers and the environment as well. We look forward to continued collaboration with C40 Cities and other stakeholders to drive sustainable transport solutions across Kenya.”
In addition to battery advancements, Roam showcased its expanding network of Roam Hubs, which provide charging, battery rentals, and after-sales services. Currently, 10 Roam Hubs operate across Nairobi, each powered by 6kW solar installations. Charging at Roam Hubs is affordably priced at KES 1.5 per percentage point, and rental batteries are available at KES 20 per hour for an 80-100 km single battery.
However, Roam Hubs only supplements home charging, where a rider is given a charger to charge the battery at home, allowing portable charging. Roam reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability through initiatives such as its battery buy-back program, which repurposes used batteries for domestic energy applications, and partnerships with battery recycling firms.
Richard Main, C40 Cities Head of Communications, said: “Visiting Roam Park in Nairobi was an inspiring experience for the C40 team and our UrbanShift delegates from across Africa. Roam’s innovation in electric vehicle manufacturing is already driving Kenya toward a cleaner, greener future and setting a powerful example for the entire continent. By harnessing local talent and renewable energy, they have shown that African cities can lead the transition to zero-emission transport, improving air quality, creating jobs, and tackling the climate crisis head-on.”
The visit by C40 Cities to Roam Park underscored the importance of public-private partnerships in accelerating the transition to clean transportation. As African cities work toward their net-zero targets, collaborations between global climate leaders and innovative companies like Roam are essential in shaping the future of sustainable urban mobility.