Electrifying transport in Dar es Salaam: SOLUTIONSplus selects two further electric three-wheeler companies
In Dar es Salaam, SOLUTIONSplus promotes the electrification of three-wheelers (“bajajs”) providing feeder services to the bus rapid transit system (BRT). The SOLUTIONSplus team composed of DART, UEMI, UN-Habitat, UN Environment, ITDP Africa, DLR, Wuppertal Institute, FIER Automotive, and PluService, has already provided seed funding to local innovators to develop locally built prototypes and retrofit bajajs (SESCOM, Auto Truck/DIT), conducted a feasibility assessment report and led several capacity-building workshops.
The project now accelerates with the selection of two further companies, Ziotio Un (brand TRī) and EKOglobe, to deploy 37 e-bajajs locally assembled. Both companies benefit from strong partnerships combining local and EU strengths and demonstrated an innovative edge to enable the electrification of bajajs in Dar es Salaam.
Ziotio Un Limited (brand TRI)
Dar es Salaam
Africa
EKOglobe Resources Limited
Dar es Salaam
Africa
Ziotio Un Limited (brand TRI)
.jpg)
Ziotio Un is an electric mobility company based in Tanzania (brand name: TRī). TRī sells smart, IoT-connected, zero-emissions electric 3-wheelers directly to professional taxi drivers in a lease-to-own scheme.
Registered in Tanzania and with a holding in the Netherlands, TRī offers a fully integrated electric mobility value chain with control on manufacturing (R&D), logistic management to market, distribution, and end-customer management, enabling quick feedback loops and continuous iterations to improve their hard- and software offerings. TRī’s solution is based on an intelligent internet connected system that offers 100% remote asset control via a web and phone app, and a Battery Management System which monitors the performance of each cell of the smart battery in real-time.
In 2022, TRI proved product-market fit for its electric 3-wheelers in Dar Es Salaam, achieving operational cost targets at 94%, established a waiting list of 30 customers for the next product shipment, and plans an increase in fleet size to 250 electric 3-wheelers.
EKOglobe is a growing cleantech company in Tanzania operating in the field of electric mobility and sustainable energy solutions, with the vision to lead Africa’s transition to green mobility and renewable energy. EKOglobe equips energy-vulnerable communities and taxi drivers with energy services, creating synergies between clean energy, electric mobility and agriculture to provide access to clean affordable energy services, mobility services and consumer financing.
The company designs, assembles, owns, manages, leases and retrofits electric three-wheelers while offering on-demand pick-up and delivery services, agro-centric e-mobility and charging infrastructures all powered by 100% green energy.
EKOglobe brings in a strong partnership for the project, integrating the ELICO foundation providing charging infrastructure, training of local technicians and community mobilisation, and the Germany-based company Micro Energy International supporting data evaluation and impact measurement.
EKOglobe Resources Limited
CLOSED
Call for Expressions of Interest
SOLUTIONSplus Call for Local Innovators
Dar es Salaam
Opening of the call: January 25th, 2023
Closing of the call: February 24th, 2023
SOLUTIONSplus is an EU-funded flagship project, bringing together 48 international partners that was launched in January 2020 and has a duration of 4 years. The project aims to boost sustainable electrification of transport in large urban areas in emerging economies. The project is coordinated by the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative, a UN-Habitat Action Platform. Demonstration actions have been launched in ten cities across the globe and are followed by replication cities.
In Dar es Salaam, the demonstration action promotes the electrification of three-wheelers (hereafter “bajajs”) providing feeder services to the bus rapid transit system (BRT). The project also tests pedal-assist electric bicycles for urban deliveries, provides capacity building on the electrification of diverse modes as well as advises on policies to remove barriers to sustainable and electric urban mobility. The partners forming the SOLUTIONSplus Living Lab in Dar es Salaam are the Rapid Transit Agency (DART), UN-Habitat, UN Environment, the Institute for Transportation and Development (ITDP Africa), the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI), the Wuppertal Institute (WI), the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt - German Aerospace Center (DLR), FIER Automotive, and PluService.
To prepare the introduction of e-bajajs, the SOLUTIONSPlus team finalised a Feasibility Assessment report presenting collected data on spatial, organisational and financial patterns of conventional bajajs currently providing BRT feeder services, as well as the analysis of the regulatory, fiscal and market environment for the introduction of e-bajajs. This report is available on the SOLUTIONSplus website (LINK). SOLUTIONSplus provided seed funding to two local innovators to develop locally built and assembled new and retrofitted e-bajajs.
Call for local innovators to procure, operate and maintain electric three-wheelers in Dar es Salaam
This call aims to select local innovators to increase the e-bajaj fleet providing feeder services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In this call, the SOLUTIONSplus project makes available up to EUR 100,000 for selected private entities (including start-ups), NGOs, research institutions active in electric mobility to procure, lease and maintain electric three-wheelers for passenger services in Dar es Salaam.
The funding amount of EUR 100,000 is split into two lots of EUR 50,000 each, in order for SOLUTIONSplus to test up to two types of vehicles or charging technologies, or up to two service providers. However, UEMI keeps the right to award both lots to the same applicant upon any other reason known to UEMI.
Correspondingly, all applicants shall propose at least one scenario requesting one lot of EUR 50,000 in their financial and technical bid. Applicants are welcome to include an additional scenario of EUR 50,000. This additional scenario may either use the same vehicle technology and charging strategy as in the first lot (simple fleet increase), or propose a different one (e.g. first lot with plug-in charging, second lot with battery swapping).
UEMI aims to fasten the speed of uptake of e-bajajs being currently deployed in Dar es Salaam. The funding made available in this call aims to support the financial viability of ongoing initiatives. For instance, the funding may be used to reduce the down-payments requested from drivers, finance extra batteries needed if battery swapping is proposed, or any other aspect facilitating the uptake, as justified by the applicant. It is expected that the funding received from UEMI will be complemented by significant co-finance committed by the company in the form of cash and in-kind contributions, including staff time and other contributions such as office space, materials etc.
If the need so arises, UEMI may, in its sole discretion, extend the deadline for submission of applications by amending the call text.
Call documents
Full Call Text: detailed information on the eligibility criteria, evaluation criteria, bonuses, timeframe, proposal requirements, payment schedule, submission requirements and questions.
Submission requirements and questions
Please return your application to opencall@uemi.net by 24th February 2023 at 11:59 pm (CET). Upon reception of the proposals, UEMI may ask any clarification question to the applicant via email.
In the case of enquiries, please contact us by email (oliver.lah@uemi.net, emilie.martin@wupperinst.org, and jacqueline.senyagwa@uemi.net), no later than 10th of February at 11:59 pm (CET). Answers will be made available on the SOLUTIONSplus website to ensure equality of access to information between applicants, provided it does not involve business’ sensitive information. No extension of the deadline for submission of applications will be granted on the basis or grounds that UEMI has not responded to or provided any clarification to any question.
Relevant paper
SOLUTIONSplus Dar es Salaam - E-bajajs Feasibility Assessment Report
Collecting data and views from transport providers: a critical step in the SOLUTIONSplus e-bajaj pilot in Dar es Salaam
Collecting data on transport patterns prior to a transition to electric mobility is a fundamental step to ensure feasibility, acceptability and long-term sustainability. It is not only essential to select an electric vehicle and charging strategy and equipment that correspond to usage and parking patterns, to design a transition that is financially and technically feasible but first and foremost to integrate the needs and the views of transport providers in this transition. To that aim, the SOLUTIONSplus team in Dar es Salaam conducted a feasibility assessment to prepare the electrification of three-wheeled vehicles (“bajajs”) currently providing BRT feeder services.