What we are doing
African cities are rapidly growing, and with this comes an increased demand for public transport services. In Rwanda, the transport sector accounted for 13% of carbon emissions (2015), with 26% of these emissions coming from motorcycles.
Motorcycles are the dominant mode of public transport in Rwanda, making up 55-60% of vehicles on the road. In Kigali, motorcycles, which are powered exclusively by internal combustion engines (ICE), account for 42% of petrol emissions. This has many negative impacts, such as contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, a reliance on fossil fuels, road congestion and poor air quality. The Rwandan government has indicated strong ambitions to decarbonise its transport sector by eliminating the reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning to e-mobility, with targets to electrify 30% of motorcycles by 2030. President Kagame has also called for the rapid phase-out of ICE motorcycles by early 2025.
This project supports these ambitions by providing technical and financial assistance to catalyse the large-scale deployment of electric motorcycles, specifically e-motorcycle taxis (e-motos), thereby decarbonising a primary transport modality in Kigali and wider Rwanda.
The project will facilitate the uptake of e-motos through access to tailored finance for manufacturers and motorcycle drivers. It will also provide technical support to improve the regulatory and infrastructure environment. It is hoped that this will stimulate larger e-mobility deployment integrated into the roll-out of mass public transport and provide commercial funding for other electric vehicles, such as e-buses.
Read more
Read less
How we are tracking
Outcome indicator 0: An effective e-moto programme
operationalised
Outcome 1: Improved availability and access to finance for e-moto supply side (batteries and infrastructure)
Outcome 2: Improved availability and access to finance for demand side (e-motos)
Outcome 3: Improved enabling environment for responsible and inclusive e-moto uptake
Output 1 (Outcome 1): Technical assistance and capacity building for increasing finance for supply of e-motos, batteries, and charging infrastructure
Output 2 (Outcome 1): Technical assistance and capacity building for increasing finance for demand of e-motos
Output 3 (Outcome 1 & 2): Unlock development partner finance and risk mitigation support for e-motos demand and supply
Output 4 (Outcome 1 & 2): Technical assistance to scale e-moto purchase agreements
Output 5 (Outcome 3): Technical assistance and capacity building to increase participation of women in e-moto sector
Output 6 (Outcome 3): Technical assistance and capacity building to improve moto and battery waste management
Output 7 (Outcome 3): Advocacy and technical assistance for development of standards and enhancement of policies, with knowledge sharing around lessons learnt and national replication
Read more
Read less
What we are achieving
Through the “Accelerating the deployment of e-motos in Rwanda” project, ICLEI Africa is supporting the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles to electric motorcycles (e-motos) by providing technical assistance, capacity building, and stakeholder coordination. It does so by advising Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) and The Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) on implementing key project components such as the E-Moto Technical Hub and Credit Enhancement Facility, facilitating workshops and toolkits for operators, especially women, and strengthening monitoring and policy development processes. It supports the development of sustainable waste management systems for ICE-motos, e-motos and their components, facilitates public-private dialogue via the E-Moto Partnership Group, and designs replication strategies to scale e-moto adoption nationally. These interventions address key barriers such as limited financing, weak institutional capacity, poor waste infrastructure, and insufficient policy coordination. By aligning with Rwanda’s NDC targets, enabling effective collaboration between public and private actors, and building institutional capabilities, ICLEI Africa’s activities empower local institutions, catalyse finance, engage underserved populations—particularly women—and foster a robust, scalable e-mobility ecosystem and low-carbon transport system in Rwanda that improves livelihoods, reduces emissions, and strengthens urban resilience.
Read more
Read less
