EM-Power Africa

It has been said countless times, but must be stated again and again; climate change is here - right now, and unless urgent and immediate steps are taken to address the situation, we may reach a point of no return. What kind of world we want to leave behind for future generations is entirely up to us.

No country today, or no person, for that matter, can claim that they are insulated from the effects of climate change. Recent worldwide increases in flooding, wildfires, droughts - all show that nature is reacting to our destructive past. The status quo must not be allowed to endure; cleaner sources of energy must be developed and put to mainstream use for us to make any measurable gains against the ravages of climate change. 

As Truckmart Africa, we are proud to have been working on adopting renewable energy over the last few years. The FIKA mobility project was conceived by our development partners almost 5 years ago, and we have spent the last few years conducting extensive field trials so as to ensure that our final product met all environmental and quality parameters.

The FIKA bike has been thoroughly tested against all applicable terrain and weather related challenges across Kenya, and our R&D department has continuously fine-tuned the bike to ensure that all standards are met or exceeded, including but not limited to:

1. Up to 95% reduction in CO2 emissions and up to 50% saving on running costs when compared to ICEs
2. Optimal 72V lithium battery charging, with an incorporated fast battery swap system
3. The battery can be charged with a home kit
4. Built in safety trigger to prevent overcharging or battery fires in case of collision
5. Built-in telemetry in the battery with real time GPS tracking, coupled with a mobile app to allow for real time tracking and other live stats such as location, speed, distance covered, battery discharge, etc.
6. Optimal 100Km range with a top speed of 95KM/h
7. Weather proofing of all sensitive equipment
8. Thorough load and stress testing over wide terrain
9. Compatibility of peripheral parts to ensure easy and available local supply
10. LCD information screen with mobile charger and phone holder

As part of our corporate responsibility, we have ensured that Fika Emobility is not only limited to the selling of electric bikes; we have set up an entire ecosystem which will support our product from the ground up whilst empowering men, women and the local economy in general. Some of the measures we have put in place include:

1. Setting up of local swap kiosks; these are hybrid, with solar and local mains charging for reduced costs and higher profits. We are mainly targeting women entrepreneurs to run these kiosks.
2. Setting up of training centers; we are active stakeholders with bodies such as KNCCI who are in discussion with the Government on the implementation of curriculum geared towards support of EVs at TVETs across the country. In the meantime, we have our own in-house training program geared towards assembly and maintenance of EVs.
3. Engagement and support for boda boda saccos: we have been conducting field trials and training for members of various boda boda saccos across the country with the aim of incorporating their experience and views into our R&D process. This not only familiarizes them with the technology, but also allows us to fine tune our product to market expectation.

There is a lot more work taking place on the ground, and we will continue to innovate and bring forward many more environmentally friendly products in the near future. We would like to acknowledge the support of KCB, Unitar and other stakeholders for their unwavering support towards the implementation and growth of green energy in Kenya.