Tracking early adoption of electric motorcycles: The mototaxi riders’ experience in Lomé

Electric motorcycles have been growing rapidly in Africa in recent years. Using a combination of business models that reduce the price barrier, some electric motorcycle suppliers have succeeded in creating communities of users. Nevertheless, the available scientific literature provides little information on these early adopters, notably on their experiences and how these contribute to forging or not a sense of loyalty perceived through the willingness to recommend and/or repurchase these motorcycles. Drawing on the user experience (UX) curves method, this article fills this gap by interviewing 20 drivers of electric mototaxis in Lomé. The results reveal a mixed user experience. They show that the scaling of electric motorcycles in Lomé depends on the ability of suppliers to increase the satisfaction of early adopters by offering electric motorcycles and/or conditions of use at least equal to, if not superior to, those currently offered by gasoline-powered motorcycles.