Also wound down its electric motorcycle pilot in Kenya to focus on autonomous vehicles and e-bikes

The wound-down project in Kenya

Also, a micromobility startup spun out of Rivian in 2025,quietly launched and then shut down a pilot project for electric two-wheeled vehicles in Kenya earlier this year. As TechCrunch learned, the project received grant funding from the Shell Foundation — an independent charitable foundation created by the oil and gas company Shell plc. According to a section removed from the foundation's website, the project's goal was to 'enable and de-risk a global OEM's entry into the African electric vehicle market' through a pilot locally integrated platform for electric two-wheelers in Kenya, with the potential to scale across East Africa. Also was to work on modular batteries, distributed charging, and 'developing a purpose-built electric motorcycle for African riders'.

Why the project was shut down

In September, Also told TechCrunch that it had 'explored this project' with an unnamed partner, but after only 'some early-stage work' decided to 'focus on the core roadmap'. The company said the Shell Foundation grant funds 'will follow the project to support its further development', but gave no details. The Shell Foundation explained that the project was meant to 'generate data on the potential for rider revenue growth, operational efficiency, and commercial viability', but declined further comment, citing a non-disclosure agreement; a few days later, the project disappeared from the foundation's website. Also's co-founder and president, Chris Yu, said at TechCrunch Disrupt that the project originally aligned with the company's mission, but the priority shifted to developing small autonomous vehicles in partnership with DoorDash: 'our focus in the near term is best served by full concentration' on that. He added that, in his view, autonomy is 'highly likely to arrive first, and at greater scale, in exactly these kinds of specialized small vehicles rather than in passenger cars'.

Context of the African market

TechCrunch notes that the electric motorcycle market in Africa looks promising: the African company Spiro recently reported more than 130,000 electric motorcycles across seven countries and 2,500 battery-swap stations, while Chinese mobility companies and investors are pouring resources into this space. This information is cited from Electrek.

A difficult first year and the TM-B launch

The exit from Africa came during a challenging first year of independence for Also. Supply chain problems repeatedly delayed deliveries of its first product — the premium e-bike TM-B — and the company's silence for much of 2026 deepened frustration among customers who had reserved the bikes. Yu admitted the mistake: 'We communicated rather poorly with reservation holders over the summer, and we were criticized for it.' TM-B deliveries began in early October; according to Yu, there was no single cause of the delays — the company was 'playing Whac-A-Mole' with its supply chain: at one point, Also was competing for the same raw materials for printed circuit boards as manufacturers of AI data center equipment, while also dealing with certification requirements from various government agencies. Early buyers have already reported problems, including shipping damage and noticeable battery drain. According to Electrek, early reviews of the delayed e-bike were mixed.

What's next for Also

The TM-B launch is critical for a company with ambitions far beyond e-bikes: it plans to sell commercial cargo bikes, including four-wheeled models, to companies such as Amazon, and is developing its partnership with DoorDash. Yu called these products the next in the company's pipeline and larger sources of revenue, but first the TM-B launch must happen — Also's most high-profile consumer product, whose design has attracted considerable attention.