Bingo, a California-based electric vehicle startup, has officially entered the Kenyan market with the introduction of its E2 electric car for ride-hailing and last-mile delivery drivers, which uses battery-swapping technology and local assembly to cut ownership costs.
The E2 is designed with a dual-battery setup: a fixed battery and four swappable battery modules, giving the vehicle a stated range of up to 440 kilometers on a full charge. Rather of forcing drivers to plug in and wait, depleted battery modules can be swapped out in about two minutes. Bingo also intends to expand its battery-swapping stations, DC fast chargers, and roadside battery service around the country to alleviate charging infrastructure deficiencies.
Speaking during the Nairobi launch, Bingo co-founder Christian Scheder described the rollout as the beginning of a comprehensive support system centered on ride-hailing and delivery drivers.
The E2 is a tiny four-seater homologated as a L7e heavy quadricycle that is available for reservation locally at an estimated price of KES 1.8 million, with deliveries scheduled for the fourth quarter of the year. The company, founded by mophie creator Daniel Huang and backed by Trucks VC, Delta40, and a group of family offices, is positioning Kenya alongside South Africa as its first African markets, citing government EV-friendly policies and renewable energy investment as reasons for the country’s emergence as one of the continent’s stronger electric mobility markets.
Bingo’s launch adds to an expanding roster of EV and battery swap companies targeting Africa’s ride-hailing sector, which also includes Spiro, Kenya’s Arc Ride, and Rwanda’s Ampersand; this industry has attracted investor attention due to its combination of physical infrastructure and consistent, asset-based revenue streams.
