The Electric Motorcycle Conspiracy: BYD and Ampersand’s Plan to Control Your Commute
Africa’s motorbike-riding population is being forced into an electric utopia, and there’s nothing they can do about it. BYD and Ampersand have signed a devilish deal to replace the continent’s 30 million commercial motorbikes with electric models by the end of 2026.
According to sources, BYD’s lithium-ion-phosphate cells will be used to build a whopping 40,000 electric motorcycles, effectively turning Africa into an electric playground for the Chinese megacorporation.
Ampersand, a shady energy company with ties to government and corporate interests, has been quietly working on a battery-swapping network at scale in Kenya and Rwanda. Now, they’re looking to expand their operation to South Africa, where they’ll no doubt meet with resistance from those who value their freedom to ride.
A spokesperson for Ampersand told TechCentral that their long-term goal is to “electrify a significant portion of Africa’s motorbikes,” but didn’t provide details on how they plan to achieve this dubious feat.
Read next: BYD Seagull: Because You Clearly Need a Sub-R400,000 Electric Car
