The Global Electric Cycle Solutions (GECSS) is addressing social, environmental, and economic issues affecting Kenyans, by creating decent employment through service delivery of electric motorcycles commonly known as bodabodas and tuk-tuks that use swappable batteries being charged through solar energy.

Our business is addressing sustainable goals such as goal number 8 creating decent work and economic growth, hence, No.1 No poverty, and No.2 No hunger leading to No.3 Good Health and well-being. We are using No. 7 affordable and clean energy through No. 9 Industrial, innovation, and infrastructure that leads to No. 12 responsible consumption & production. We have put up a spirited effort on No. 13 climate action in No. 17 partnership for the goals with like-minded companies.  

At GECSS, we have tailored and optimized operations of electric motorcycles through innovative service delivery and up-to-date management skills. GECSS has positively impacted the lives of Kenyans through the use of renewable energy in transportation which saves them money in their daily operations. 

The transportation industry is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in urban centers. Kenya has about two million registered bodabodas, running on average 100km daily. Calculating emissions by the method in www.thrustcarbon.com formulae, one motorcycle would emit about 8.64 kg of CO2 daily, which translates to about 17,280 tons of CO2 for the two million motorcycles. 
According to a report by NEMA, in Kenya, the biggest greenhouse gas emitter (GHG) is the agriculture sector followed by the transportation industry. The transportation industry which includes transportation by air, sea, and land is leading in the urban settlement and it’s attributed to the use of motor vehicles, Tuk-tuks (three-wheeler taxis), and the bodabodas (two-wheeler taxis).  
The bodaboda industry is an integral part of the Kenyan economy and plays a key role in reducing poverty by allowing access to transport services for those who cannot afford other forms of public or private transportation. At the same time, the sector's heavy reliance on fossil fuels leads to heavy greenhouse gas emissions. Also, it is well documented that apart from the change in weather patterns, pollution leads to respiratory problems and increased mortality rates among citizens, particularly those living in urban areas. 
Therefore, GECSS finds it necessary to inspire the fight against global warming by using the very important means and ways of life of the Kenyan population, this will cause a paradigm shift and impact the lives of over 60% of Kenyans leaving in urban settlements. 
Based on our competencies and experience, we have set up reliable, efficient, and sustainable services that are flexible enough to grow our target client base to cover all sectors of our economy. In so doing, our clients are able to make good savings while operating electric motorcycles and tuk-tuks noting that Kenya's petrol pump price is exorbitant and continues to increase at an exponential rate.
Our immediate objective is to impact all towns in the coastal region and eventually to reach other parts of Kenya, we also hope that in the future we will be able to reach the East Africa Community (EAC) at large.  
  

 Advantages of electric motorcycles over petrol-driven motorcycles.

1. No fossil fuel is used. Riders can save up to Ksh. 500 daily.
2. No engine hence fewer moving parts to service. One can save up to Ksh. 14,000/ in a month.
3. Zero Carbone emission 
4. Less Noise pollution
5. It has a better-controlled speed giving riders a smoother ride.
6. Easy to ride for both men and women. 

How the concept works

GECSS Investments Ltd imports brand-new electric motorcycles in a completely knocked-down form (CKD) and has them assembled in Mombasa.  

Our electric motorcycles operate in a ratio of one motorcycle to one and a half batteries (1:1.5). While a motorcycle is running on one battery, the other will be charging. Once the one in use is drained/depleted, then the rider will get to the nearest swap station and exchange the depleted battery with a fully charged one. 

We have also been retrofitting the internal combustion engine motorcycles (ICE) plying on our roads and turning them into fully electric ones. 

Swap stations have been created and established in strategic locations in the city in a radius of 2-4 kilometers and there is one charging station for better control and maintenance of the batteries. Once charged, batteries are delivered to various swap stations daily.

Batteries remain the property of GECSS investment and the reason is our main client base may not have time to wait for a battery to charge which takes about 4 hours, that is the time they need to be working. Also, most of them do not have an infrastructure where they will be able to be connected to a reliable city grid that will supply electricity constantly. The other reason is that lithium-ion batteries require constant maintenance with a battery management system (BMS) software that many clients may not have access to considering the poverty level. If these batteries are not well maintained they will not have a long life which is about 2000 cycles of charging before they are decommissioned.  

History

GECSS Investment Ltd has been in operation mainly in Mombasa and there are plans to expand to other major towns in the country. The director is a former United Nations staff member who after serving in other parts of the world decided to give back to his community and at the same time help in the fight against global warming. 

So far there is a very positive response from riders and their clients who got a chance to ride on our motorcycles. They have realized that they can save a lot of money in their daily operations, and they have enjoyed zero carbon emission electric motorcycles, and less noise pollutants that are ideal for use near schools, hospitals, estates, and office areas. These electric motorcycles are easy to handle compared to petrol-powered ones and can easily be driven by men and women as well, this is encouraging more women to get into the industry and they are perfect for passengers like school-going children and the elderly. 

Conclusion

GECSS Investments has introduced electric motorcycles with rechargeable and swappable batteries as a means of transportation in Mombasa and aspires to expand to other parts of the country accordingly. The main targeted clients are the two-wheeler taxi operators commonly known as the bodabodas and the three-wheeler known as tuk-tuks. Other clients would be businesses offering delivery services, corporates, and individuals who would own them for personal use. 

We supply and as well service brand-new electric motorcycles and we also have an option of retrofitting a petrol-powered motorcycle and changing it to an electric-powered one. Retrofitting is done voluntarily and in other instances, old motorcycles are purchased, get the process done, and sold back to needy clients at an affordable price.