Nairobi, July 20 -- Kenya's electric mobility push is running into a new hurdle as the high cost of establishing battery-swapping stations slows expansion into rural areas, exposing the financial limits of a business model that has fuelled the sector's rapid growth in major cities and towns.

Battery swapping has become the backbone of Kenya's electric motorcycle industry, allowing riders to replace depleted batteries within minutes instead of waiting hours for them to recharge.

To extend these networks beyond urban centres, companies have increasingly turned to franchising. But the model is struggling to gain traction because of the high upfront investment required, threatening to slow the next phase of Kenya's transport electrification...