What is this?

A tool tracking what it costs to run an electric boda across East Africa, compared to petrol. The main number is cost per 100 km. That lets you compare any brand, any battery size, on the same terms.

Where does the data come from?

Prices come directly from operators, their published materials, or verified media reports. Each entry shows when it was collected. We update roughly twice a year. Always check the date on a figure before relying on it.

What we've assumed

• Petrol efficiency: A typical petrol boda gets 35 km per litre. Your actual figure depends on the bike, the load, and the road.
• Range from battery size: Where an operator hasn't given an official range, we estimate it at 25 km per kWh of battery capacity. Actual range varies with rider weight, terrain, speed, and battery age. Treat it as a benchmark, not a guarantee.
• Exchange rates: USD figures use mid-market rates from XE.com, updated periodically. For comparison only.
• Dual-battery swaps: Some bodas swap two batteries at once. Where that's the case, the price and range shown cover the full swap, so all brands are still comparable per km.

What's not included

Subscription fees, battery leasing, and membership discounts. We show the standard per-swap price a regular user pays. Some operators have more complex pricing. Where that's the case, we use the most common scenario.

Use this as a starting point

Check directly with the operator before making any decisions based on these numbers. Prices change. That's partly why we built this.

Our view

Riders and the public deserve to know what energy costs. If you have better data or think we've got something wrong, tell us.

Currently tracking Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda. Looking to expand to Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, and beyond.