E-MOBILITY SOLUTIONS FOR RURAL SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Sustainable transport through local conversion of motorbikes an interview with Bodawerk
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Bodawerk has been awarded the SET Award 2019. Could you tell us a bit more about how you started out and how your product has changed along the way?
What has been the local feedback?
After starting in 2018, we converted several motorcycles and prototyped different approaches around the electrification of a motorcycle. Our approach is to centrally own, manage, share and recycle the most expensive component of e-mobility: the Battery. One of the challenges we faced was sourcing lithium-ion cells, which pushed us into the Li-ion battery recycling. Every kilometer covered by our bikes, tractor and wheelchair so far, has been powered by batteries we have assembled using recycled laptop batteries. The demand we have encountered in the meantime exceeds by far our current production capacity.
Most Ugandans strive for ownership and start-ups are not typically advised to try to change consumer behavior but rather to fit in. However, if we look more closely at the Ugandan market, the basic costs of housing, food, healthcare and mobility cannot be covered by most salaries. Money is the most influential factor in decision making of the average buyer and has influenced our decision regarding business model. We have developed a solution specifically adapted to the local market and environment. Our sharing economy approach allows for significantly reducing the capital expenditures required and has the potential to transform markets. For example, fishermen working at night share their batteries with motorcycle taxi riders, who work during day time.
Bodawerk decided to focus on the rather new business model of mobile energy storage (battery) swapping services.
Producing locally while building capacity on the ground Bodawerk aims to introduce sustainable growth through
