How can e-mobility grow when electric vehicles depend on charging infrastructure, while investment in charging infrastructure depends on having enough vehicles on the road?

A new publication by Katharina Susanne Eichinger and Prof. Dr. Frank-Martin Belz explores this “chicken-and-egg” problem in Kenya’s emerging electric motorcycle market.

Based on a multiple case study of four e-mobility ventures, the authors identify two innovative business model approaches. While one relies on flexible, infrastructure-independent charging and vehicle ownership, the other combines battery leasing with venture-operated battery-swapping networks. The study shows how innovative business models can help overcome limitations in public charging infrastructure and contribute to the development of e-mobility in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The open-access article “Overcoming the chicken-and-egg problem? Evidence from innovative business models in Kenya” has been published in Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 139 (2026), Article 104890.

Authors: Katharina Susanne Eichinger and Frank-Martin Belz
DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104890