RENCONTREZ RICHARD, L'ARTISAN DE L'AVENIR ÉLECTRIQUE DU RWANDA
HE WATCHED RIDERS LOSE HALF THEIR INCOME TO FUEL. NOW HE’S BUILDING RWANDA’S ELECTRIC FUTURE.
Every day, Richard Ngoga watched motorcycle taxi riders work long hours only to lose a significant portion of their earnings to fuel costs.
For many riders, fuel consumed between 40 and 60 per cent of their daily income, making it difficult to build financial stability despite the growing demand for transport services.
Rather than accept this as an unavoidable reality, Richard saw an opportunity.
He envisioned a solution that could reduce operating costs for riders while helping Rwanda move towards a cleaner, more sustainable transport system.
That vision became Volt, an electric mobility company dedicated to making electric transportation accessible, practical, and affordable for Rwandans.
The Build
Building an electric mobility business meant introducing a new way of thinking about transportation in a market dominated by petrol-powered motorcycles.
Richard focused on developing a model that addressed the everyday realities of riders. Instead of simply selling electric motorcycles, Volt adopted a Battery-as-a-Service model, allowing riders to swap batteries instantly and continue working without lengthy charging times.
The approach combined locally relevant engineering, flexible financing options and dependable after-sales support, ensuring that riders could transition to electric mobility without disrupting their livelihoods.
The early stages demanded resilience, resourcefulness, and constant learning.
“Building Volt from an idea to an operational business with paying riders has required resilience, resourcefulness, an
