East Africa’s First Commercial Electric Tuk-tuks By Gayam Motor Works And Sokowatch

African cities are home to more than 10 million informal shops, which sell over 180 billion worth of goods every year.

Since these shops are vital for the economy of countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, Sokowatch, a B2B e-commerce startup, found a niche market — to solve logistic challenges for these retailers by using delivery electric tuk-tuks.

Clean Technica reports that Sokowatch has partnered with Indian electric tuk-tuk manufacturer Gayam Motor Works to manufacture the first batch of commercial electric tuk-tuks in Africa.

“We truly do believe that electric vehicles are the future of mobility, specifically in Africa, especially when it comes to powering commerce or retail across the continent. Our preliminary analysis indicates that we can achieve significant cost savings, perhaps even more than 50% on what we currently pay to operate our traditional fleet," said Daniel Yu, Sokowatch’s Chief Executive Officer.

Electric tuk-tuks will be used to deliver goods from local warehouses to customer storefronts. These 3-wheeler EVs are an ideal choice for the region where cities are plagued with gridlock, while roads are narrow and potholed. 

Although in many parts of the world the switch to electric tuk-tuks is driven by economics, the poor air quality in cities like Kampala underlines how important electric vehicles are for the recovery of the region.