Nicon PLC, an Ethiopian transit and cargo company, has announced plans to establish electric bicycles assembly plant in Ethiopia.

The company has secured land for the plant at a cost of 10 million Ethiopia birr and says it will start producing Ethiopian made bikes within a year.

Nicon recently started importing the zero carbon-emission bicycles from China and has sold 100 units in less than a month.

“There is huge market demand, so we have decided to start assembling the bikes here. Meanwhile, we will expand our import volume,” said Wondwossen Mengistu, Nicon's CEO.

“The product shall contribute to the various efforts undertaken to solve the transportation problem, which is evident and of great concern in major cities of the country, especially Addis,” Wondwossen added.

The electric bicycle Nicon is planning to assemble has a capacity to carry a load of 150 kg and can travel up to 80 km at 35 kph, once it has been charged for four hours.

Source: Capital