Rivian spinout Also was working on an e-moto project in Kenya — until it walked away

Also, Rivian's spinout, Also, was working on an e-moto project in Kenya until it walked away. The project received grant funding from the Shell Foundation, which had previously supported global OEM entry into Africa’s EV market. The project aimed to pilot a locally integrated electric two-wheeler platform in Kenya, with potential to scale across East Africa. The Shell Foundation said the project's goal was to "enable and de-risk global OEM entry into Africa’s EV market." Also said it had explored the project with an unnamed partner but decided to focus on its core roadmap after completing only "some early-stage work." The grant funding will follow the project to support its ongoing development, but the company declined to offer specifics.

• The Shell Foundation removed a section of its website that detailed the project's goals.
• The project was intended to generate evidence on driver income uplift potential, operational performance, and commercial viability to deepen the company’s understanding of the market opportunity.
• Also walked away from the Africa project during a somewhat rocky first year of independence, facing supply chain problems and communication failures.

The Kenya pilot project initially made sense given Also's mission to build small, purpose-built vehicles that are "first and foremost cost-optimized to do the job that needs to be done in a particular market." However, other projects, such as the development of small autonomous vehicles, took precedence, especially the partnership with DoorDash. Also said the scope of supply chain challenges and the pace at which new problems emerged made it difficult to give customers reliable updates about delays. The TM-B, Also's most visible product, was delayed due to supply chain issues and certification requirements, and finally started shipping in early October. The company acknowledged its communication failure during the summer, which frustrated reservation holders. Getting its first product launch back on track is crucial for Also, which has ambitions beyond e-bikes, including commercial cargo bikes and four-wheeled models. The company is working through the inevitable kinks of its first product, with early customers reporting issues like delivery damage and battery drain.

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