Wahu Mobility, a Ghanaian electric vehicle manufacturer, has opened pre-orders for its new Wahu eMoto, an electric motorbike that will be sold anywhere in Africa. Customers are required to place a deposit of 10,000 Ghana cedis, approximately US$860, and early buyers will receive a 15% discount. Deliveries are expected to begin in December, while the full retail price has not yet been announced.
A Break From the Battery Swap Model
Many African electric motorbike companies sell or lease bikes without batteries, requiring riders to rent charged batteries at swap stations. Wahu is taking the opposite approach by giving owners both the bike and battery outright. The eMoto charges from a standard socket in 40 minutes and offers a claimed range of 100 kilometers per charge, which could make it useful outside major cities where swap networks rarely operate.
Designed for Delivery and Local Roads
Wahu's main customers have been delivery riders working for platforms such as Bolt Food and MenuFinder, often through a lease-to-own plan called Ride-to-own. The new eMoto is designed for local road conditions with front and rear suspension for potholes and a thumb throttle for quick starts at busy junctions. The company's app provides a safety score and allows a remote shutdown if dangerous riding is detected.
From Converted Bicycles to an Assembly Plant
Founder Valerie Labi started the venture during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown by assembling secondhand bicycles with electric conversion kits for Accra's roads. The company was formally established in 2022 through the merger of Cargo Bikes Africa and Mana Mobility, and its name means horse in a local language. In February 2024, Wahu opened what was described as Ghana's first electric vehicle assembly plant with capacity for about 200 e-bikes per month.
Ownership Economics and Pre-Order Terms
Wahu has not disclosed the eMoto's full purchase price, so the deposit remains the only confirmed cost for interested buyers. The company's earlier bikes had notably low running costs, with a charge priced at about 4 Ghana cedis, roughly 27 cents, covering around 70 kilometers. Pre-orders are being collected through an online form, and the company says it will sell the eMoto anywhere in Africa.
Investor Support and Carbon Credit Recognition
Wahu has attracted several rounds of investment, including three commitments from Altree Capital and backing from Launch Africa Ventures in October 2024. In November 2025, Sahara Impact Ventures invested to help the company deploy more than 117,000 e-bikes in Ghana by 2030. The project is recognized under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, which permits the trading of carbon credits.
Market Outlook and Gig Worker Demand
Ghana's electric vehicle market remains small, with about 17,000 registered electric vehicles across two, three, and four wheels, according to Energy Minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh. A national EV policy is expected to roll out in three phases between 2027 and 2035, targeting roughly 35% EV penetration. Demand from gig workers could be significant, as Labi has cited a projection of 30 million delivery riders across Africa by 2030.
The eMoto's success will depend on whether Wahu can match its range and charging claims, set a full price that daily earners can afford, and service bikes sold far from Accra. Pre-orders are now open through an online form, allowing the company to gauge demand beyond its home market. If these challenges are met, Wahu's direct-ownership model could give riders a practical alternative to battery-swap networks across Africa.