Development of a Pay-As-You-Go Battery-Charging System for Electric Mobility in Nairobi, Kenya

Electric mobility adoption in Nairobi is constrained by high upfront costs and limited charging infrastructure. This thesis develops a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) battery-charging system for electric two-wheelers, in collaboration with the mobility company eWAKA. The system links a frontend interface and a Python-based backend to mobile payments processed through the Daraja (M-Pesa) API, so charging sessions start on confirmed payment and stop automatically once purchased energy is consumed. Two charging-control approaches were prototyped and field-tested: a hardware-based charger for e-bikes, and an API-based method using existing smart-battery communication for e-motorbikes. Both proved technically feasible; the API-based approach was found more scalable and cost-effective but dependent on battery-manufacturer API reliability, while the hardware approach offers greater independence but requires further development for large-scale deployment.