We are proud to announce Kenya’s first-ever electric bus, completely designed and developed in Africa.
Leveraging local manufacturers and global suppliers we have built a vehicle tailored for the African public transport sector.
More on the electric bus:
We got to meet His Royal Highness Prince William! 😃
During our time with the prince (
@KensingtonRoyal
) we spoke about our progress and our ambitions for the electric mobility market in Africa.
This past week has been very productive, thank you
@EarthshotPrize
for hosting us!
WIN UNLIMITED FREE BUS RIDES FOR ONE YEAR! 🚍
To enter:
1. Follow
@roammotors
2. Like & retweet this post
3. To increase your chances of winning, take a picture/video of the electric bus & share it in the comments below!
Contest is open until the 18th of November.
#COP27
It’s official! We've been selected as one of the finalists of the £1,000,000 Earthshot Prize!
This recognition goes a long way in helping us incentivize change within Kenya's mobility industry and to actualize a future of electric transport.
Read more:
Tuesday we had a nationwide power cut, but within minutes our workplace was restored to power by our NYUMBA system.
This system guarantees power. It comes with powerful lithium batteries, with a 15+ years-worth lifespan, and 10 years guarantee.
Info:
Kenya's first-ever, electric, mass transit bus operation is finally here! 🚍⚡
Nairobi's population is growing, and a mass transit solution is needed.
The time for an electric public transport system is now, and we intend to showcase that!
Read more:
New, the Roam Rapid! 🚍⚡
It’s a fully electric mass transit bus and we couldn’t be more excited to officially launch it today.
This bus ensures reliability and accessibility to large-scale transit systems across the African continent.
More info:
Proudly presenting the Roam Move, Kenya’s first locally manufactured electric bus! ⚡️ 🚍
We've dived deep into Africa's bus market, analyzing how matatus are used & what passengers truly need.
The result is the Roam Move.
Find out more here:
The Roam Rapid perfectly fits into Kenya’s public transportation ecosystem. 🇰🇪
It's been driven over 35,000 km, carried over 40,000 passengers, avoided over 20,000L of diesel, and mitigated over 21T of CO2.
Imagine how transformative having 100s of these buses would be. ⚡
We're in the UK for the
@EarthshotPrize
Finalists' Fellowship Retreat!
The retreat is part of a 9-month fellowship programme designed to help Roam grow our solutions!
We are excited to meet major world leaders and collaborate with members of The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance.
We have something very exciting to show you ⚡️ Introducing our fully electric motorcycle, designed and assembled in Kenya! Just one detail missing, the name. We have ideas but we want to get inspiration from you!
What should we call our electric motorcycle?
Opibus secures Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest-ever fundraise in Electric Mobility!
We are excited and humbled to announce we’ve secured a $7.5M investment.
Mass manufacturing in Africa will make the products more accessible and affordable!
More info:
Opibus was founded in 2017 as a research project at a top technical university, with the mission to implement electric mobility in emerging markets. Kenya is the fastest growing nation in sub-Saharan Africa, perfect for our headquarters 🌍
More about us:
Today we are announcing a major milestone, we are partnering with Uber!
The partnership aims to scale up the use of electric motorcycles in Africa. We are going to deploy up to 3000 electric motorcycles to their drivers.
More about this new partnership:
How it started vs How it's going.
Our dedicated team has been working tirelessly over the past few months to ensure that every aspect of the Roam Move electric shuttle bus meets and exceeds the expectations of the everyday commuter! 🚍
Presenting Roam Hub, a multi-purpose electric motorcycle charging station that offers battery rental, battery charging & after-sales services at 3 key sites.
This launch is an important step towards decarbonising Kenya’s boda-boda sector.
More info:
Want to catch the Roam Rapid? ️
Commuters are boarding the bus at Koja bus station in Nairobi’s CBD with the bus driving all the way to Limuru and back through Waiyaki Way.
The bus will be operating on this route for the next month. Let us know if you plan on taking a ride!
The Roam Rapid was on location at the Matatu Owners Association Delegates Conference at KICC!
The Roam Rapid stood out as usual, a testament to what the future of Kenyan public transport could be.
Fruitful discussions were had and letters of intent were signed by various SACCOs
President Of Kenya, H.E DR
@WilliamsRuto
Inaugurates Roam Park!
Yesterday, we had the absolute pleasure of having the president officially open Roam Park, East Africa's largest electric motorcycle assembly plant.
Find out more here:
Showcasing our electric bus the Roam Rapid to H.E
@rigathi
, H.E
@susankihika
,
@CS_Njeru
&
@PSCharlesHinga
at the Kenya Urban Forum.
The aim of the event was to discuss how to develop urban city solutions that are people focused and address the needs of the majority.
Roam will be seen in 50 countries all around the world mid this year!
Yesterday, we began a 3-day shoot for a feature film with our friends over at
@storyofanewworld
.
We want to inspire the world to take action with us towards the real-life solution that is electric mobility.
On the 4th of November, Prince William named Roam as one of the three finalists for the Clean Our Air Category of the Earthshot Prize.
The finals are drawing near, and we are eagerly anticipating the announcement!
Drop us a 🏆 if you are rooting for our win!
Forget about long hours at the garage.
The absence of spark plugs, oil filters, and valves, means you get a much lower-maintenance motorcycle.
All you have to do is keep your motorcycle charged, keep your tires pumped, make sure your brakes are working, and enjoy the ride!
In partnership with Umoja Expressway, the Roam Move electric buses will be running on the expressway at discounted prices for bus operators! 🚍
This aims to address the unique challenges of public transport in Kenya by providing a reliable and sustainable transit solution! ⚡️
This
#InternationalWomensDay
, we’d like to celebrate all the women working to make the
#electricmobility
movement in Kenya a success!
At Roam, our workforce is 40% female ranging from software developers to electrical and mechanical engineers to project managers.
#IWD2023
Roam Air!⚡
We are thrilled to unveil our next-generation electric motorcycle, adapted and designed for the African use case. It has taken years of research and development dedicated to building the optimal electric motorcycle for Africa. 🌍💪
More info:
This is a 20 year old Land Cruiser that got a second life by replacing the old engine and with a new electric motor and battery system. By upcycling the old body we can create a really sustainable vehicle, zero emissions. Taking the best from the past and the best from the future
We are working hard on developing the charging infrastructure in East Africa, but did you know that we have also implemented chargers in Reserves and National Parks in Kenya?
We have electric safari vehicles driving around in the Masai Mara, Tsavo National Park, and many more!
We’re proud to unveil Roam Park, East Africa’s largest electric motorcycle plant, a 10,000-square-meter facility.
This new location will allow us to ramp up production of the Roam Air to 50,000 motorcycles annually in the upcoming years.
Read more here:
LOW MAINTENANCE
Our motorcycle is electric, meaning it has no oil, no spark plugs, air filter, timing belts, gearbox, or clutch. The motorcycle is almost maintenance-free as there is only one moving part, the electric motor. The only thing you need to do is switch it on and ride.
Electrifying the Boda Boda Industry one Roam Air at a time!️
Market days never looked so good as our Roam Air riders help commuters run their daily errands in a sustainable way.
We are working closely the boda boda riders to equip them with economically-empowering options.
We've been waiting for this moment to arrive. After years of research and countless months of development, we're proud to say that the moment has finally come…
The countdown until we reveal our latest product has started. ⚡
Make sure you don't miss it.
Twende twende! 🏍️
⚡️Yesterday, we had the pleasure of having H.E William Ruto’s security team ride our Roam Air electric motorcycles!
The president at the time was headed to KICC for the Africa Youth Climate Assembly as he led a procession of 100s of electric vehicles.
We just teamed up with
@HitachiGlobal
to deliver transport electrification across Africa, a collaboration facilitated by the
@EarthshotPrize
! 💪
Together, we will work towards building a robust electric mobility industry in Africa. ⚡🏍🚍
Read more here:
Meet Masa Kituyi Micro Mobility Product Owner at Roam. ⚡
Masa, who is a mechanical engineer by trade, has been with the company for close to 4 years now.
He started as a Research and Development engineer and is largely responsible for the current Roam Air design. 🏍️🔧
Spotted! ⚡🚌
The Roam Rapid about town as the electric bus continues to transport commuters all over Nairobi. 🌍
Do you recognise this route? Let us know in the comments if you know which road this is that the Roam Rapid is driving along!
Exciting News! 📢
A lot has been happening behind the scenes! Tomorrow, we make a major announcement that will make sustainable mobility in African cities even more accessible.
Let the countdown begin! ⏳
The 1st dedicated electric bus rapid transit lane in E. Africa is coming to 🇰🇪
Built on Juja Road, this project will be financed by
@EU_Commission
& cost Ksh.50 billion
We are hopeful that a BRT system will finally be presented to Nairobians
More info:
We're still reeling from the Roam Rapid's launch event!
At the event, we flagged off Kenya's first-ever, electric mass transit bus into operation.
Shortly after, the bus picked up commuters from the CBD and headed to Thika Road where it will be operating for the next two weeks.
This past weekend, the winners of the Earthshot Prize were unveiled.
Even though we weren't on that list, it was truly an honour to be nominated! 🏆💪
Through this recognition, news of our work has been able to reach a global audience and for that we are grateful.
The Roam Rapid is the first electric mass transit bus in Kenya, and within a few weeks, we will start the first pilot! 🚌
During the pilot, the Roam Rapid will be operating on different routes throughout Kenya.
Where should we pilot next? 🌍⚡
#roamrapid
#electricmobility
In case you missed it, here is a recap of how we spent last Tuesday at Roam Park! ⚡
The grand opening ceremony of our facility by HE DR William Ruto is definitely a 2023 highlight for all of us here at Roam!
Here is to the electrification of Kenya’s boda boda sector!
Today marks International Reducing Carbon Emissions Day. In Africa alone, over 1 million deaths are caused by polluted air.
This health crisis could be averted by switching to electric mobility which cuts an average of 1.5 million grams of CO2 from the atmosphere over a year.
New - Zurura! ☀️
Zurura is a solar container solution that provides power without backup needed. We can install different Lithium Batteries of 10 kW to 1 MW and from 50 kWh to 4 MWh. We customize the design for every need. 🔋
More info? Start a chat on WhatsApp: +254740666555
Hosting Game Of Thrones’ Star, Nikolaj Coster, is definitely a 2023 highlight!
@nikolajcw
together with
@IllKippers
and
@CreamProdInc
visited Roam Park and shot a docu series.
The series will feature the ingenuity that is the Roam Air and the Roam Rapid in one of its episodes.
We love to witness the hustle and bustle of Nairobi.
We see the city thriving even more when it is turned into a sustainable one.
The Roam Rapid electric mass transit bus is just a start, we are working on turning the cities we operate in into thriving, sustainable places. ⚡
We're getting closer to our goal of electrifying Africa’s public transport system. The first electric bus is part of a pilot test before starting commercial deployment of the buses in peri-urban areas around Nairobi Metropolitan.
Read more on our website:
Our new electric motorcycle let you move around freely. No need for complicated plugs, just remove the battery and charge it in any socket. It’s as easy as charging your phone! 🔌
The double battery solution is easy to carry and in just seconds you can swap, wherever you are! 💪
We just won the Urban Innovation Challenge courtesy of the World Economic Forum.
Over 300 start-ups were nominated for the challenge and 8 won! This goes to show the key role that entrepreneurship plays in addressing local city challenges! ⚡
More info:
Exciting news! 🚀
Kenya's largest newspaper, The Daily Nation, has published us on the cover page of Tuesday's paper:
The article shows how far we have come in such a short time and that Kenya will become the leader in sustainable transport in Africa.
Yesterday, we hosted the Matatu Owners Association at Roam headquarters!️
The event was a forum where attendees learned about Roam’s electric bus operations.
The addition of electric buses to public transport fleets is an urgent issue. Let us know if you agree in the comments!
Roam and
@mkopakenya
sign the first major supply agreement for the deployment of electric motorcycles in Africa!
The agreement enables credit sales of electric motorcycles, lowering the barrier to entry for customers through low payment plans. More info:
Every single one of our electric motorcycles is made in Nairobi! 🏍️
"Made in Kenya, for Africa" is not just a slogan to us.
We believe that Kenyan engineers best understand this market. Hence are best suited to produce the Roam Air, a unique motorcycle, with a unique use case.
We had an incredibly satisfying day transporting government officials attending a 3-day event to Naivasha using the Roam Rapid!
The electric bus (with a range of 360 km on one charge) will transport these delegates to & from Naivasha as well as do short trips within the town!
An electric motorcycle that lets you charge anywhere where you would normally charge you phone!
Thats what you get with the Roam Air!
Just remove the depleted battery from its compartment, grab your portable charger, connect that to any wall outlet and let your battery charge!
𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢 🔌 AC chargers for buses during the night, those will be available for the public during the day, and ultra-fast DC chargers for buses to enable quick top-ups during operation 🚍🚍
Yesterday, we launched Zurura!
Emboo Camp is based in the Masai Mara in Kenya. Our Zurura solar container solution provides enough power for eight tents and four electric safari vehicles.⚡
You never have to worry again about electricity supply, no matter your location!🌍
The silence of an electric motorcycle makes for a smoother ride, but can be hazardous.
The iconic headlight for daytime visibility, electro-magnetic horn for audio notification are some of the measures we have taken to promote safety.
What other safety measures can we adopt?
We visited the East Africa Mashariki Transport Awards, an event organized to reward transport players who are making the transport sector become innovative and people-centric.
During this event, we pre-launched the Roam Rapid, the first electric mass transit bus in Kenya! 🚍
Great developments in Nairobi’s public charging infrastructure!
We have received all the AC and DC chargers that we will deploy on public land in Nairobi. This means that soon we will start to install the first chargers! 💪
Next week we will share more information! Stay tuned
Kenya’s main source provider,
@KenyaPower
, has taken the initiative to build a nationwide network of public electric charging stations!
More in this article:
Last year, we started the installation of AC and DC chargers in Nairobi.
The govt signed a $60M deal for electric buses in Nairobi's BRT Line 2, promoting sustainability & reducing congestion.
Our Made in Kenya Roam Move electric shuttle bus launch aligns perfectly, signaling a cleaner Nairobi.
More info via
@TechCrunch
:
Nairobi's governor Hon.
@SakajaJohnson
witnessing the future of electric mobility that is the Roam Air!
We got to attend the Climate-Smart Solutions for Cities event hosted by Nairobi County
Collaboration is how we drive practical strategies to build city resilience for Kenyans
Lilian Muyonga has been riding the Roam Air for almost 10 months now!
She got her start doing deliveries on foot, & now relies solely on the Roam Air to make her living
With just KES 100 a day, she is able to run her operations providing a better quality of life for her family.
We're in the last stage of approval to install chargers on public land in Thika! This will be done before the end of the month, and as soon as we passed this last stage, we will start the installation of the 10 AC chargers in Thika.
Where should we put chargers next? ⚡
#Charge
Opibus is rebranding to ROAM! ⚡
We're excited to present a new era of the company, as ROAM. The rebranding is inspired by our expansion and strategic shift into a wider solution strategy, which has led to a shift in our vision.
More about the new name:
In light of
#Teslabatteryday
where Elon Musk announced new battery features for their vehicles, we'd like to present our own battery box. By maximising the life span of our batteries and recycling them at end of life, they become a key component to lower our CO2 emissions🔋⚡️
This week, Kenya Power's E-mobility Forum took place. The main discussion was the viability of the e-mobility tariff
A daytime tariff was proposed at KES 17 & an off-peak tariff at KES 7
We're keeping a close watch on what happens with this tariff and will keep you in the loop!
The Roam Rapid test rides are a fan favourite at all our events!
A few weeks back, we got to attend the E-Mobility event where we showcased the Roam Rapid bus.
This electric bus is a showcase of our vision for zero-emissions transport all over Kenya and we're not slowing down!
Over a month ago, we hosted the Roam Rapid contest and we get to finally announce the grand prize winner!
Congratulations
@kamala_code254
. Your prize? A golden ticket that gives you access to unlimited free rides on the Roam Rapid!
Please reach out to us to collect your prize!
BATTERY SWAPPING SYSTEM
Is your battery running low while driving? No problem, our swappable battery allows you to swap your empty battery for a fully charged one within 10 seconds! 😎
The Roam Air is not just an electric motorcycle; it's a powerful cargo transportation solution capable of carrying weight of upto 220kg.
The Roam Air paves the way for sustainable deliveries, while empowering Boda Boda operators through better earnings and a cleaner future. 🏍️⚡
At Roam, we are keen on integrating environmentally conscious processes into our workflow.
This commitment has seen us acquire an electric forklift instead of a diesel-powered one, among other things.
Sustainable production will continue to be at the heart of what we do daily.
The Roam Rapid has now driven more than 5000 kilometres since its launch in October!
The bus has been used in public transport and the private sector with players such as the
@UN
,
@ScaniaEA
and the
@UKinKenya
.
This experience will help us deploy more electric buses next year.
One of the most common concerns among electric motorcycle riders is range anxiety.
We have a solution. Our electric motorcycles come with dual battery compartments that allow for easy battery swapping.
What is your favourite bit about driving an electric motorcycle?
Day 3 already! In October, Kenya's first-ever electric mass transit bus began plying operations. 🚍
We marked this milestone with a launch event that saw partners from
@kenya_chamber
, the Ministry of Transport and
@KenyaPower
attend.
Ridden on the bus before? Let us know below!
Yesterday, we had the pleasure of being hosted at the British High Commission Residency in Nairobi.
The event was graced by the First Lady of Kenya,
@MamaRachelRuto
who commended us for being Earthshot finalists and praised the Roam Air for being an innovative climate solution.
Opibus is part of the cover story in National Geographic's global print issue, this October 🙌
The article focuses on one electric vehicle story from each continent of the globe. We are honored to represent the African continent as the leader in the electric vehicle space ⚡️
Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of being hosted at the Swedish Ambassador's Residency here in Nairobi for the Pioneering Possible event! ⚡
We got to showcase the Roam Air, the first African electric motorcycle, as well as our plans to bring the motorcycle to market. 🏍️
Opibus has been awarded the
@TIME
100 Most Influential Company in 2022!
We have been recognized alongside other global companies like
@Ford
,
@Rivian
,
@BYDCompany
,
@Apple
, and
@Microsoft
for making a huge global impact.
For more information:
We are thrilled to be featured in an article by
@CNN
!
The article tells the story of our journey in Africa's emerging and evolving electric mobility market as well as the changes we've made to our electric vehicles for market optimization.
Read more at:
Finally the time has come… We are published in National Geographic’s October issue! 🌍
In this article of
@natgeo
we stand beside
@toyota
,
@tesla
, Zeromotorcycles and
@VW
, some of the world’s largest manufacturing company! 🔋
Read the article here:
Meet Paul Njoka who has been driving the Roam Rapid for the past 9 months!
He's been in this profession since 1991 & has been key to the success of our electric bus pilot.
His favourite part of the job he says is witnessing the delight being in the bus brings to passengers.
The Roam Air is built, developed, and designed for and in Africa!
We've optimized production to cater to the very needs of this vehicle. With its robust design and dual battery swapping solution, it's a perfect electric motorcycle designed for both urban and rural environments.
The President of the UN General Assembly (
@UN_PGA
) is visiting Kenya. Last week we showed him the benefits of electric mobility and how it is growing in the region. We went with him on a safari and brought one of our electric safari vehicles through Nairobi National Park.
Charging into a brighter future! These are some of the things that we just love about the Roam Hub charging stations!
Solar-powered, battery diagnostics, technology and software updates access points, staffed with technicians who provide maintenance services as needed. 1/2
Welcome to Roam, where we are doing the impossible! 🙌⚡️
We have captured 5 years of innovation and a bold vision for a changed world continues to be our guiding light.
On a daily basis, we are rethinking mobility and reimagining how we move. 1/2
We want to let you in behind the scenes. We are busy with new branding, a new website, and new designs✨We strive to make our products better and better so you enjoy driving our electric vehicles even more!
💪Hold on tight, in the coming weeks we will launch a lot of new things.
We got to meet His Excellency, President
@WilliamsRuto
!
This happened during our participation as panelists at The European Union-Kenya Business Forum
This opportunity allowed us to network and build relationships that will allow us to take our products from Kenya to the world!
Every motorcycle purchase comes with a battery & charger allowing riders to charge anywhere. 🔌
The Roam Hub charging stations are not a replacement to home charging.
We believe a focus on portable charging empowers riders via battery ownership granting them more independence.
The global emissions are significantly reducing the quality of life on earth, but everyone can make a difference!
Here are 5 things you can do now:
☀️Using renewable energy
🌳Planting trees
🚍Opt for greener transport
🚫No usage of plastic bags
♻️Reduce, reuse and recycle waste
Prices of the electric motorcycle ⚡
Riding an electric motorcycle is cost-efficient, almost maintenance-free, has little to no emissions, and has great acceleration! Prices start from $1,300 and pre-ordering is possible on our website already today!