Spiro is positioning local manufacturing as the next stage of its African electric-mobility expansion, setting a target to produce 90% of its vehicle components on the continent by the first quarter of 2027. The company currently assembles electric motorcycles from internationally sourced parts, a model that enabled it to scale its operations but leaves much of the underlying production value outside its African markets. Moving into component manufacturing would mark a more ambitious shift from vehicle deployment towards building a regional industrial base around electric transport.
From Assembly to Localised Production
The plan reflects a broader question facing Africa’s EV sector: whether fast-growing demand can be converted into domestic manufacturing capability rather than dependence on imported equipment. Localising batteries, motors, controllers and other parts could help shorten supply chains, support specialised employment and create opportunities for suppliers beyond final vehicle assembly. It would also require substantial investment in equipment, technical expertise, power reliability, logistics and quality-control systems, making the target more complex than simply opening additional assembly lines.
Funding Supports the Next Phase
Spiro’s manufacturing ambition follows a $215 million equity financing round announced in June, providing capital for its vehicle fleet, battery-swapping infrastructure, expansion and local production activities. The company says it has deployed more than 100,000 electric motorcycles and established 2,500 battery-swapping stations across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon. That operating footprint gives Spiro a meaningful base of rider demand and battery-use data, both of which can inform decisions on where to locate production capacity and which components should be made locally first.
Ethiopia and the DRC Enter the Strategy
The company is also preparing to enter Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two markets that strengthen different elements of its expansion strategy. Ethiopia offers growing momentum for electric mobility, while the DRC is central to global supplies of minerals used in batteries and other energy-transition technologies. Together, the markets could help Spiro connect future manufacturing plans with both demand growth and supply-chain considerations, although local production will still depend on the practical availability of materials, partners and infrastructure.
Scale Will Determine the Outcome
Manufacturing economics remain the central constraint because factories and supplier networks need sustained order volumes to compete with imported components produced at larger global scale. The International Energy Agency estimates that African electric-car sales grew from about 4,000 in 2023 to around 25,000 in 2025, while electric two-wheeler sales reached roughly 70,000 in 2025. These figures point to accelerating adoption, but the market remains fragmented across countries, requiring companies such as Spiro to build enough regional scale to justify capital-intensive local production.
Spiro’s target is significant because it reframes electric motorcycles as more than a transport solution, placing manufacturing, supply chains and industrial capability at the centre of Africa’s EV transition. Success would mean creating more local value from vehicles already being deployed across the continent, while reducing exposure to international logistics and component disruptions. The plan now faces its real test: converting a large deployment network and fresh financing into dependable factories, suppliers and production volumes by 2027.