Electric Micromobility in the Global South
Nairobi (Kenya), Kumasi (Ghana), Dhaka (Bangladesh)
Electric micromobility is emerging as one of the most significant—yet still under-recognised—pathways towards more sustainable and inclusive urban transport systems in the Global South. Beyond personal mobility, the electrification of two- and three-wheelers for passenger transport, cargo logistics, and service delivery is reshaping everyday economies, livelihoods, and energy use in rapidly urbanising cities.
This focus area studies electric micromobility as a technical and socio-technical transition at the intersection of vehicle design, energy systems, digital platforms, finance, labour relations, and policy. Projects are suitable for students with backgrounds in engineering, sustainability, and innovation sciences, and can range from system design, performance analysis, and life-cycle assessment to questions of governance, business models, and justice. Many projects aim to generate concrete outputs, such as charging or battery-swapping system designs, cost and emissions models, or decision-support tools for scaling electric mobility.
We work with a growing network of partners, including battery service providers and fintech platforms in Kenya, SolShare in Bangladesh, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana.
Case studies
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Nairobi is a rapidly emerging hub for electric two-wheelers, where electric motorcycles are entering the boda boda taxi economy through start-ups, battery-as-a-service models, and digital payment platforms. TU Eindhoven research examines vehicle performance, battery systems, charging and swapping logistics, and financial feasibility, while also analysing how platform design, regulation, and labour conditions shape adoption and scaling.
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Dhaka has witnessed a large-scale, bottom-up electrification of three-wheelers, with e-rickshaws operating in largely informal and often illegal conditions, outside formal transport and energy planning. Research highlights how low-cost vehicle design, decentralised charging practices, and informal energy connections enable rapid diffusion, while also raising challenges related to grid impacts, safety, and governance.
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In Kumasi, Ghana, TU Eindhoven research and internships explore the technical and financial feasibility of electrifying cargo tricycles, showing how electric drivetrains can support local service economies while reducing fuel costs, emissions, and noise—demonstrating that micromobility transitions extend well beyond personal transport.
Opportunities for Students
This thematic area offers rich opportunities for Bachelor end projects, Master’s thesis projects, and internships, often in collaboration with local partners in Kenya, Ghana, and Bangladesh. We are also open to thematically relevant thesis projects in other countries. Projects can be tailored to emphasise technical depth or socio-technical integration, and desk-based research from Eindhoven is also possible.
Possible research topics include:
Design and optimisation of electric two- and three-wheelers for passenger and cargo use
Logistics and spatial planning of battery-swapping and charging infrastructure
Environmental footprint of decentralised renewable-based charging versus centralised grid charging
Financial feasibility of electric versus petrol motorcycles, tricycles, and cargo vehicles
Battery-as-a-service models, digital payments, and data-driven mobility platforms
Labour conditions, safety, and inclusion in platform-based micromobility systems
Life-cycle assessment (LCA) of vehicles, batteries, and energy supply chains
Comparative perspectives between Global South cities and Dutch micromobility transitions
Ongoing and completed projects at TU Eindhoven
SET Internship report (2025) Jim Maskell - A feasibility study on the electrification of cargo tricycles in Kumasi, Ghana
Contact persons