VivoPower's Tembo Signs Definitive Heads of Agreement with East Africa’s Leading Vehicle Assembler, Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd (AVA)

5-year agreement targeting 200 vehicle conversions in first year and 1,600 over five years

Provides local sales, service, and maintenance, further boosting Tembo’s position in the East African market, a population exceeding 500 million people

AVA’s vehicle assembly facilities have the capacity to assemble 30,000 vehicles per annum

AVA currently assembles vehicles for leading OEMs including Toyota, Fuso, Proto, Hino, Mahindra, Scania, Tata, Volvo and Daewoo

Established in 1975, AVA is the only assembler in the region to have achieved IATF16949 Certification

LONDON, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VivoPower International PLC (Nasdaq: VVPR) ("VivoPower" or the "Company") announced today that its subsidiary, Tembo e-LV ("Tembo"), has signed a Definitive Heads of Agreement (“Agreement”) with Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd. (“AVA”), East Africa’s market leading vehicle assembler.

The Agreement covers Kenya, Tanzania and other East African nations. With a population exceeding 500 million people, East Africa is the largest sub-region in Africa and home to the United Nations headquarters for Africa.

Under the terms of the Agreement, AVA is empowered to both distribute and locally assemble Tembo’s 100% electric utility vehicle (EUV) solutions across East Africa for customers in the mining, agriculture, energy, safari, non-government organisation (NGO), defence and government sectors. Crucially, it provides customers and partners in the East African region with local maintenance and support capabilities. This Agreement augments a previous partnership agreement that Tembo signed with ETC Group in relation to Kenya specifically.

The Agreement reflects both companies’ commitment to supporting Kenya’s transition to sustainable transportation and creating value and jobs in local economies across East Africa.

“We are seeing an acceleration in demand for electric vehicles across East Africa, from both government and private sector companies,” stated Matt Lloyd, CEO of AVA. “Having conducted an expansive review of electric conversion companies, we selected Tembo based on their experience, their cultural adaptability as well as the fact they have the most competitively priced products and solutions which also meet our quality and safety standards. Our team is excited to welcome Tembo’s engineers to Kenya in April 2025 as we kickstart the first assemblies for the Kenya market.”

“With the new and reduced pricing for our next generation EUV25 electric conversion kits, we have seen a surge in interest from new and existing customers and partners. This is a direct consequence of Tembo’s strategy to diversify and strengthen its supply chain which has translated into a significant reduction in costs, without sacrificing on quality and safety,” commented Matthew Nestor, Tembo’s Head of Partnerships and Sales. We are delighted to have been selected to partner with AVA, who are the pre-eminent vehicle assembler in East Africa.”

Kevin Chin, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VivoPower, stated, "We are honoured to be partnering with AVA. This is part of a considered and patient strategy we have been executing upon globally to identify and build partnerships with long established and credible leaders in their respective markets who are genuinely aligned in terms of values and like us, have a long term commitment to deliver electrification solutions and transformation to entire nations."

About VivoPower 

Established in 2014 and listed on Nasdaq since 2016, VivoPower is an award-winning global sustainable energy solutions B Corporation company focussed on electric solutions for off-road and on-road customised and ruggedised fleet applications as well as ancillary financing, charging, battery and microgrids solutions. VivoPower’s core purpose is to provide its customers with turnkey decarbonisation solutions that enable them to move toward net-zero carbon status. VivoPower has operations and personnel covering Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates.

About Tembo

Tembo electric utility vehicles (EUVs) are a 100% electric solution for ruggedised and/or customised applications for fleet owners in the mining, agriculture, energy utilities, defence, police, construction, infrastructure, government, humanitarian, and game safari industries. Tembo provides safe, high-performance off-road and on-road electric utility vehicles. Its core purpose is to provide safe and reliable electrification solutions for utility vehicle fleet owners, helping to perpetuate useful life, reduce costs, maximise return on assets, meet ESG goals and seeks to further the circular economy. Tembo is a subsidiary of VivoPower, a Nasdaq-listed B Corporation.

About AVA

Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd. (AVA) is East Africa’s leading vehicle assembler, with decades of experience in producing high-quality vehicles tailored to meet the unique needs of the region. Based in Mombasa, AVA has established itself as a trusted partner for global automotive brands, providing state-of-the-art assembly services and technical expertise. AVA’s commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability has made it a key player in Kenya’s automotive industry, driving economic growth and supporting the transition to more sustainable transport solutions. As a pioneer in the region, AVA continues to lead the way in assembling vehicles that meet the highest global standards while catering to local market demands.

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