A mere few months after announcing a move to a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Nairobi, electric mobility company ROAM inaugurated the new space in a ceremony attended by the president of Kenya, William Ruto. As operations officially kick off, ROAM now occupies the largest electric motorcycle assembly plant in East Africa.
ROAM was founded in 2017 under its original monicker, Opibus, before receiving a fresh rebranding to ROAM in April 2022. Although ROAM has Swedish roots, it has always been identified as a proud Kenyan company in Africa, developing, designing, and manufacturing all-electric motorcycles and buses in addition to clever fast charging technologies to support them.
Last summer, ROAM launched its flagship Air electric motorcycle, complete with two swappable battery packs that combine 180 km (112 miles) of all-electric range and class-leading carrying capacity. ROAM’s bikes play a tremendous role in its goal of easing mass adoption of zero-emission transport across Africa – particularly in the boda boda segment of motorcycle taxis in East Africa.
This past March, ROAM shared plans to expand to a new 10,000-square-meter (approximately 107,650-square-foot) facility in Nairobi, Kenya, to keep up with demand and improve production efficiencies. At the time, we learned the new facility would be called ROAM Park and would eventually become home to the company’s new headquarters in East Africa in addition to housing electric motorcycle production plus development and battery labs.
Today, ROAM Park officially opened in East Africa following an exclusive visit from the president of Kenya, William Ruto, who not only toured the production floors but also climbed atop an Air.
ROAM continues to expand into EV powerhouse in Africa
In speaking with the team at ROAM, today’s presidential visit was a momentous occasion for the relatively young company, whose assembly line is now humming as the largest electric motorcycle plant in East Africa. Per ROAM:
Roam Park’s inauguration by His Excellency William Ruto represents a significant milestone not only for the company but also for the nation as a whole. It exemplifies Kenya’s determination to embrace a more sustainable future while fostering technological advancement through investment in the local production of electric mobility solutions and hence economic prosperity of Kenyans.
President Ruto toured ROAM Park and got an up-close look at an Air motorcycle – the first all-electric designed and manufactured in Kenya. The president’s visit coincided with a new initiative he introduced called Boda Boda Care to enhance the welfare of motorcycle taxi drivers. ROAM’s all-electric Air bikes provide a viable solution to East Africa in lowering exposure to carbon emissions and noise pollution.
After touring the assembly line and battery lab as well as observing worker safety, President Ruto expressed confidence in ROAM during a ceremonial speech:
I am proud to inaugurate Roam’s electric motorcycle assembly plant today. This facility showcases Kenya’s potential as a leader in clean transportation solutions in Africa. This initiative aligns perfectly with our national goals to reduce carbon emissions and promote clean energy alternatives. The assembly plant will not only contribute to our environmental goals but also foster economic growth by creating job opportunities and nurturing local talent in the automotive industry.
Looking ahead, ROAM looks to get more and more of its electric motorcycles out to operators in East Africa and beyond. Now that ROAM Park is officially open for business, the company will work to optimize and expand motorcycle production to reach an annual output of 50,000 units in the next “few years.”
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