Zeno, a global electric mobility company founded by a former Tesla executive, has entered the East Africa market with the launch of its electric bikes in Kenya.
The San Francisco-, Nairobi-, and Bangalore-based company is setting up two assembly hubs and nine showrooms across the region.
Kenya is the first market to get delivery of the Zeno Emara electric motorcycle and its 3-mode charging infrastructure.
The Zeno Emara is designed for heavy-duty use, with a load capacity of 250kg and ground clearance of 190mm — making it well-suited for tough terrains.
“With the Zeno Emara, we’ve fundamentally rethought what an electric motorcycle should be for our consumers. Our customers need a vehicle that can handle a full day of commercial use while remaining affordable to buy and operate,” said Michael Spencer, Zeno’s CEO.
“The Emara delivers superior performance to comparable petrol bikes while cutting operating costs by 30-50%.”
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Zeno has already deployed more than 40 charging points across key routes, allowing riders to travel from Nairobi to upcountry locations such as Nyeri and Nanyuki.
The company plans to increase this network to 120 charging stations in Nairobi and 500 across Kenya within the next year — making it the most extensive EV charging network in the country.
Zeno’s Michael Spencer said the launch has been warmly received “and that more than 15,000 customers have already registered on Zeno’s waitlist across Kenya, Uganda, and India.”
“We’re offering an introductory price of Ksh.189,000, which includes Ksh.15,000 in free Zeno points (energy credits), with financing options starting from Ksh.290 per day.”
Zeno’s entry into East Africa comes at a time when the uptake of electric motorbikes and cars is growing, driven by the need to cut emissions and reduce the environmental impact of transport.
Traditional motorbikes in Asia and Africa consume nearly $400 billion in fuel each year and contribute significantly to CO₂ and particulate emissions.
