Bolt launches electric tricycles in Lagos
You will be able to choose electric tricycles as a ride option directly in the Bolt app.
You might not notice them in every corner just yet, but electric tricycles are officially hitting the streets of Lagos, courtesy of Bolt. This month, the ride-hailing platform kicked off its first deployment of electric tricycles (popularly known as keke napep) in Lagos, starting with 25 units.
It’s a small but smart response to tackle two major issues head-on: rising fuel prices and the need for more sustainable transport in one of Africa’s busiest cities.
These EVs, developed in partnership with Lagos-based SGX Mobility, can hit speeds of up to 80 km/h and run for as long as 12 hours on a full charge. The company has set up a battery swap station in Surulere to support drivers, with more planned across Lagos.
The idea is to cut downtime and keep vehicles on the road without long charging breaks. Each daily battery swap costs about ₦6,500, significantly cheaper than what drivers would spend on petrol each day.
Regarding owning one of the vehicles, Bolt is offering them through a lease-to-own model. Each one costs ₦3.2 million (roughly $2,000), but drivers aren’t expected to pay it all upfront.
Techloy
Instead, they make a ₦208,000 down payment and pay the balance over 18 to 24 months. The vehicles are integrated into the Bolt app, meaning drivers will operate exclusively on the Bolt platform with lease terms linked to their weekly performance.
Hence, riders can easily choose electric tricycles for short trips via the Bolt app. We should expect to pay less when we ride the electric tricycles instead of the traditional cars on the Bolt app.
Compared to previous vehicle financing efforts like Moove and LagRide, Bolt says it's trying to do things differently. Past programs have been criticised for inflexible repayment terms and high default rates. However, Bolt claims its model includes more flexible terms and a lower commission rate of 15% (compared to the usual 25%).
I think that the initiative would make vehicle ownership more accessible and sustainable for drivers. The move also aligns with Lagos State's goal to replace 50% of public vehicles with EVs by 2030, as announced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Acquah Nana Yeboah
But, Bolt isn't the first to explore electric tricycles in Nigeria. In 2024, KarryGo and Qoray Mobility announced a partnership with the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) to deploy 10,000 electric tricycles nationwide. However, we haven't heard much since the announcement, and I'm yet to come across a single electric tricycle from the partnership.
Hopefully, Bolt’s entry into the space could add competitive pressure and potentially speed up the pace of innovation and adoption.
For now, the company is calling this an initial phase. If the pilot goes well, Bolt aims to scale up to 1,000 electric tricycles by the end of 2025 and expand into other Nigerian cities and possibly additional African markets.
