Dodai Launches Battery Swapping Pilot with E-Bike Donations to Addis Ababa Transport Bureau

E-mobility startup Dodai is set to roll out its battery swapping network in Ethiopia, beginning with a pilot initiative involving the donation of 40 electric bikes to the Addis Ababa Transport Bureau. The company announced the launch of its latest project during a partnership signing ceremony with the Bureau on Thursday afternoon at its factory fitted with a station in the Haile Garment area.

Dodai aims to replace traditional battery charging methods by establishing a network of stations that exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones, for a fee. The startup plans to set up between 30 and 50 battery swapping stations across the capital within the next six months.

“We hope to eliminate lengthy charging periods, reduce maintenance concerns, and eliminate traditional charging practices,” Dodai CEO Yuma Sasaki told Shega.

Yuma noted that the bikes donated to the Bureau were the company’s latest models and expressed hope that the initiative would help build wider recognition for the reliability of Dodai’s bikes. According to the CEO, the bikes fitted with GPS devices can travel up to 90 km on a single charge. The battery swapping service reduces bike prices by around 100,000 Birr, though customers can also opt for Dodai models with fixed batteries.

The startup has also previously supported the local e-bike community by covering license plate fees for 250 members of an e-bike association. This move helped overcome regulatory hurdles that required association membership to obtain license plates. Yuma said that more than 400 drivers have now received plates, with Dodai assisting throughout the regulatory process.

“If our customers are happy, we don’t need a sales team,” he noted, underscoring the brand’s confidence in the quality of its bikes.

Yabebal Addis, Head of the Addis Ababa Transport Bureau, stated that 15 of the donated bikes would be used by the Bureau for operational control, 10 would go to the city’s traffic management agency, another 10 to the traffic police, and five to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing and Control Authority. He acknowledged that restrictions on the free flow of motorbikes are currently implemented by the Bureau.

“There are strict legal requirements to operate a bike in the capital,” Yabebal told Shega.

He explained that delivery businesses, courier companies and government organizations who meet the requirements are allowed to operate bikes in the capital. The official indicated that unnecessarily burdensome legal requirements would be reevaluated in time as not to discourage innovative manufacturers like Dodai.

A previous Memorandum of Understanding with Ethiopian Investment Holdings to deploy 300 battery swapping stations in three years was terminated two months ago. Yuma says they mutually agreed to go their separate ways as a matter of strategy, despite both having similar long-term objectives regarding transportation.