Promotion of e-Mobility in Ethiopia: Second Selection of "Subsidies for Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Projects' by METI, Followed by First Selection in Kenya"

Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co., Ltd. . (Headquarters: Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, President and CEO: Hiroshi Otsuka, hereinafter referred to as "Musashi") is pleased to announce its selection as an indirect subsidizer for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)'s grant titled “Subsidies for Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project in the FY2023 Supplementary Budget (Second call by METI).” Musashi has been chosen for the project titled “Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia / Pilot Project for Digital Services Using Electric Motorcycles to Reduce Environmental Impact.” This is the second time that Musashi has been selected as a subsidiary of the Ministry, following our successful e-Mobility promotion project in the Republic of Kenya. (For details on the first selection in Kenya, please refer to our previous grant announcement)
Through this project, we aim to accelerate the widespread adoption of small e-Mobility solutions, thereby contributing to the realization of a prosperous global society where people and the environment coexist harmoniously.

※Subsidies for Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project in the FY2023 Supplementary Budget is a subsidy that covers the costs of implementing projects in the Global South (ASEAN, India, the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, Pacific Island Countries, etc.) in order to leverage the growth potential of the market in the region by solving issues faced by these countries, thereby strengthening economic ties and realizing benefits to the countries where the projects are implemented.

In March 2024, Musashi invested in and began collaborating with Dodai Group, Inc. (hereinafter “Dodai”, Headquarters: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Representative Director and CEO: Yuma Sasaki), an EV startup based in Ethiopia that assembles and sells two-wheeled EVs.
In October 2024, Dodai and Ethiopia Investment Holdings (EIH), which operates an Ethiopian government-affiliated sovereign fund, agreed to establish a joint venture (JV) for the two-wheeled EV business in Ethiopia, and signed a MoU on the collaboration at a signing ceremony held on October 21, 2024.
At the signing ceremony, Musashi also expressed its support for the collaboration between Dodai and EIH, and stated that it will use its technology to support the spread of two-wheeled EVs in Ethiopia.

References
March 2024　：Collaboration with Ethiopian EV startup Dodai
October 2024 ：Musashi, Dodai and EIH collaborate to popularize two-wheeled EVs in Ethiopia

With support from the Japanese government, this project will collaborate with Dodai to create a business model for electric motorcycles in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital. The project will involve developing an ecosystem that includes electric motorcycles, batteries, battery swapping stations, and digital services. The key objectives are as follows:

1. Reducing environmental impact:
By popularizing electric motorcycles, we aim to reduce CO₂ emissions, contribute to environmental protection in Ethiopia, and promote the achievement of carbon neutrality.

2. Improving driver convenience and safety:
By utilizing IoT technology, we will enhance driver convenience and safety by optimizing battery systems and charging stations.

3. Awareness within Ethiopia:
To deepen the understanding of electric motorcycles in the country, we will widely provide information and aim to establish them as the de facto standard.

Aligning with the Ethiopian government's initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality through the promotion of clean mobility, this project will advance the construction of an electric two-wheel vehicle ecosystem in major cities. Additionally, by leveraging the data and results obtained from this project, we will continue our research and development efforts to expand the deployment of small e-Mobility solutions globally.

Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co., Ltd. is a global auto parts Tier1 company for automobiles and motorcycles, whose headquarters is located in Toyohashi, Japan. It has 35 manufacturing sites spreading across Europe, North and South America, China, and South East Asia. Musashi specializes in designing, developing and manufacturing products such as Differential Assemblies, Transmission Gears and Assemblies, and Linkage and Suspension (L&S) products especially for the future automobiles including electric and autonomous vehicles. Musashi is also generating and expanding new businesses through open innovation with global startups to contribute to the SDGs in wider business domains. Musashi AI, a leading-edge AI technology subsidiary to lead Industry 4.0, is one of the examples.
Musashi Web Site: https://www.musashi.co.jp/en/

Dodai is a global startup founded in 2021 by Yuma Sasaki, a successful businessman who previously led sales at Uber Japan and served as vice president of the electric scooter company Luup. Starting in 2023, the company plans to expand its electric mobility business across Africa, with Ethiopia as its main hub.
Web Site: https://dodai.co/