Africa Electric Scooter Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Retro, Standing/Self-balancing), By Battery, By Voltage Type, By Country, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The Africa electric scooter market size was valued at USD 20.7 million in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% from 2022 to 2030. Rapid urbanization, high fuel prices, and increasing vehicular pollution encourage people to switch from Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) to Electric Vehicles (EV). E-scooters are lightweight, easy to operate, and contribute to the goal of zero carbon emission; thus, they are widely used in the country. In addition, countries such as Egypt and Morocco are prominent destinations for foreign visitors. Tourists prefer rental E-scooters for local traveling and adventuring, driving the demand. An increase in the adoption of electric scooters to reach schools and colleges is expected to propel the growth of e-scooters. Although various factors are driving the demand, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the sales of EVs.

The region was witnessing greater electric vehicle adoption till 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic posed a severe challenge. Global restriction, disruption of the supply chain, and unavailability of vaccines have impacted the tourism, transportation, and automobile sectors. Battery electric vehicles such as passenger cars, pickup trucks, and buses have witnessed a sharp decline in sales; the electric scooters were no escape. Electric scooter sales are highly dependent on tourists; due to the global lockdown and travel restrictions, foreign visitors refrained from movement across countries. This factor has reduced the demand for electric scooters, and the market witnessed negative growth during 2019 and the first half of 2020.

Electric scooters exhibit zero emission characteristics, cost-effective, and enable users to avoid road congestion, thus gaining consumers traction. They are adopted for short-distance travel and are replacing conventional bicycles. Scooters are easy to operate, faster than a bicycle, and reduce the effort of peddling, thus widely used by schools & college students. In addition to this, kick-start electric scooters are available for adults, more suitable for local adventuring.

Urbanization in Africa is higher than in other developing economies; the rapidly growing population is straining existing transport and energy infrastructure. Most of the vehicles used for transportation are fuel-based, thus creating a high oil demand. The problems such as fuel scarcity, high fuel prices, and pollution occur due to the use of ICEs. Therefore, Africa needs alternative transport that reduces fuel dependency. The electric vehicles are battery-powered and eliminate the emission from the exhaust pipe, thus a potential solution.

The hospitality industry has been vital for the African economies. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, in 2018, the travel and tourism sector had contributed $42.1 Million to the sub-Saharan Africa GDP. The region had over 13 million tourists in Egypt and 56 million in Sub-Saharan Africa. As more tourists are visiting for leisure activities in the area, there is a great demand for transportation. Traveling and site seeing in the region easily be possible by electric scooters. Thus, the sector is expected to drive the demand for electric scooters.

Global automobile manufacturers are introducing rental electric scooters to Africa. Companies such as Lime, Baddel, and Bird offer rental electric scooter services in Dubai, Egypt, and Morocco. Vehicles provided by the companies are affordable, sustainable, and reduce carbon emissions, widely adopted by young people. The initiative taken by the global automobile manufacturers is expected to encourage the local electric vehicle manufacturers to produce advanced electric scooters and provide tough competition.

Product Insights

The African electric scooter market is segmented into retro/self-start, standing/self-balancing, and folding by product type. The retro/self-start segment accounted for a revenue share of 58.7% in 2021. The drivetrain swing arm powers the retro electric scooters; they have a liquid-cooled electric motor, which enables the scooter to achieve more speed and endurance. Further, the electric scooter requires lesser maintenance and offers a battery swapping option. These technical features improve electric scooter performance; therefore, they are preferred over other electric vehicles in the African market

The folding segment is expected to witness the highest CAGR of 9.3% from 2022 to 2030. The segment's growth can be attributed to scooter features, they are portable, lightweight, fast chargeable, can be charged through a mobile charging dock, and have better mileage. Thus, this lucrative feature of the folding electric scooter provides them an extra edge over other electric two-wheelers is expected to create huge demand for folding scooters during the forecast period.

Battery Insights

By Battery type, the African electric scooter market is segmented into sealed lead acid, NiMH, and Li-ion. The sealed lead-acid segment holds a market share of more than 50% in 2021 and is expected to remain dominant during the forecast period. The liquid sealed batteries are reliable, require low maintenance, are economical, and portable. Further, no particular precaution is necessary for handling due to their leak-proof battery construction. Thus, the battery can be placed in an inclined position, thereby widely adopted by electric scooter manufacturers.

The Li-ion segment is expected to witness the highest CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period. Lithium batteries have better energy storage capacity, low discharge rate, better charging efficiency, and durability. Besides, these batteries are 100% recyclable, thus making them re-introduced back to the supply chain. The price of the Li-ion battery is high compared to its counterparts. According to the European Commission report,  Li-ion battery costs could decrease rapidly, by at least 50 % in 2030. Thus, reducing the cost of Li-ion batteries is expected to increase the rate of adoption of EVs.

Voltage Type Insights

By Voltage type, the African electric scooter market is segmented into 24V, 36V, 48V, and greater than 48V. The 36V segment holds a market share of 55.1% in 2021. The vehicles integrated with 36V systems have better charge retention capacity than 24V voltage systems, provide extra mileage, and are cost-effective. Thus, electric scooter manufacturers are widely adopting 36V Li-ion and NiMh batteries.

The greater than 48V segment is expected to witness of CAGR of 9.9% during the forecast period. The electric scooters are majorly threatened by their counterparts, such as electric bikes, e-motorcycles, and other e-mopeds. Its substitutes have various beneficial features such as fast charging, long-distance travel, and being faster in speed. Thus to overcome these challenges, electric scooter manufacturers are working on increasing the efficiency of the vehicle. As the power supply system plays a crucial role, they have started adopting greater than 48V batteries in electric scooters. Therefore, the segment is expected to witness an upsurge during the forecast period.

Country Insights

Prominent electric scooter manufacturers are focusing on increasing the global footprint in the market, and they consider Africa as a potential region. Manufacturers are developing and supplying advanced electric scooters to customers in the region. For instance, Segway Inc. and Ninebot Limited deliver their electric scooter through an urban mobility distribution company. Furthermore, local start-up firms have started investing in building cost-effective electric scooters to provide tough competition to global manufacturers. 

Egypt’s electric scooter market is expected to witness a CAGR of 10.0% during the forecast period. Steps were taken by local manufacturing companies like Glide to introduce new electric scooter models to the Egypt market. Besides, electric scooter rental start-up companies such as Slyd provide rentable e-scooter for short trips, thus contributing to the high growth of the electric scooter market in Egypt. Additionally, global automobile manufacturers such as General Motors and Al-Mansour Automotive Company have submitted plans to manufacture electric vehicles such as scooters, cars, and e-mopes locally. Thus, these factors are expected to drive the demand for electric scooters in the country.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The key players that dominated the Africa market in 2021 include Honda Motor Co Ltd, KTM AG, Mahindra GenZe, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company Limited, and Ninebot Limited. The prominent players in the electric scooter market are investing in developing advanced scooters with better design, and enhanced battery life. The companies are also pursuing strategic initiatives, such as regional expansion and strategic acquisitions, mergers, partnerships, and collaborations to strengthen their position in the market.

Organic growth remains the key strategy for most of the market's incumbents. As such, market players are focusing on expanding their product offerings by developing and launching new and innovative products. In May 2021, Yadea Technology Group Co., Ltd., the major player in the electric scooter market launched a range of electric vehicles such as kick scooters, motorcycles, and mopeds. The launch of these new electric vehicles demonstrates its commitment to remaining at the forefront of electric vehicle innovation and delivering its growth strategy to maintain its dominant position. Some prominent players in the electric scooter market include:

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

• KTM AG

• Mahindra GenZe

• Peugeot Scooters

• Ninebot Limited

• Suzuki Motor Corporation

• Terra Motors Corporation

• Vmoto Limited

• Yadea Technology Group Co., Ltd.

• Yamaha Motor Company Limited 

Africa Electric Scooter Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at the regional and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the Africa electric scooter market report based on product, battery, voltage type, and region:

• Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Retro Electric Scooter

  • Standing/Self-balancing Electric Scooters

  • Folding Electric Scooters

• Battery Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Sealed Lead Acid

  • NiMH

  • Li-Ion

• Voltage Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • 24V

  • 36V

  • 48V

  • Greater than 48V

• Country Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • South Africa

  • Morocco

  • Algeria

  • Egypt

  • Rest of Africa