A coffee shop on three wheels. An electric vehicle built in Morocco. And a new retail concept designed to help entrepreneurs take their businesses directly to customers.
Stellantis Morocco and Moroccan coffee company Smiresso have unveiled AFRIKAWA, a mobile coffee station developed around the fully electric FIAT Tris.
Presented in Casablanca on October 14, 2026, the prototype combines professional coffee equipment, solar technology and digital management tools in a compact vehicle.
Developed at Stellantis Morocco’s CETIEV technical centre, the project brings together Moroccan engineering and German expertise through partnerships with Melitta Professional and the German development agency GIZ.
The ambition is to create a mobile retail model that can be tested in Morocco before potentially expanding into other African markets.
From Electric Vehicle to Coffee Shop
At the centre of AFRIKAWA is the FIAT Tris, a three-wheeled electric utility vehicle manufactured at Stellantis’ Kénitra plant.
Designed for professional mobility, the Tris has now been adapted to accommodate a fully equipped coffee station.
The prototype includes professional coffee-making equipment, a photovoltaic system that contributes to its energy supply and digital tools for monitoring operations.
Its compact design is intended to allow coffee vendors to operate in different commercial environments without depending on a conventional fixed-location café.
The vehicle itself has a stated driving range of up to 90 kilometres under its homologated specifications.
However, the operating performance of the fully equipped AFRIKAWA prototype remains to be established through testing.
Smiresso Is Building a Business Model Around It
Founded in 2016, Smiresso has developed its business around coffee distribution, roasting and professional equipment.
AFRIKAWA represents an extension of that expertise into mobile retail.
Rather than selling a vehicle or coffee machine separately, Smiresso aims to develop an integrated package covering equipment, training, maintenance and operational assistance.
Its managing director, Mohamed Yassir Smires, has described the project as an entrepreneurial ecosystem rather than simply a mobile sales point.
For prospective operators, the concept could offer a structured route into the coffee business.
But its commercial viability remains untested publicly.
The partners have not disclosed the cost of a fully equipped unit, the investment required from operators or projected daily sales.
Those figures will be essential in determining whether the model can become a practical option for independent entrepreneurs.
Moroccan Manufacturing Meets German Expertise
The project combines several areas of expertise.
Stellantis provides the electric vehicle and engineering capabilities, while Smiresso leads the coffee concept and its proposed operating model.
Melitta Professional contributes specialised coffee equipment and technical knowledge.
GIZ supports cooperation between the Moroccan and German partners through its Invest for Jobs programme, working in collaboration with Morocco’s Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The initiative also includes training and technical knowledge transfer to develop professional skills locally.
For Morocco, the collaboration connects an existing industrial product with a new commercial use.
The result is not simply another electric vehicle application, but an attempt to create a retail business around locally manufactured mobility technology.
Morocco Will Be the First Test Market
AFRIKAWA remains at the prototype stage.
The partners intend to use Morocco as the pilot market to assess the concept’s technical performance and commercial potential.
A wider rollout, including possible expansion into other African countries, would depend on the results.
No confirmed commercial deployment target or launch timetable has been announced.
That leaves several important questions unanswered.
Can the mobile station operate reliably throughout a working day?
Will its equipment, energy requirements and maintenance costs make financial sense?
And can operators generate enough demand to support a sustainable business?
The answers will determine whether AFRIKAWA moves beyond an innovative demonstration.
A New Approach to Retail in Morocco
AFRIKAWA illustrates how the boundaries between manufacturing, mobility and retail are changing.
Instead of developing a traditional shop, the partners are exploring a business built around a compact electric vehicle capable of bringing products directly to customers.
The concept also highlights how Moroccan industrial capabilities can support new entrepreneurial applications.
For Stellantis and Smiresso, the next challenge is turning the prototype into a commercially viable operation.
For Morocco, the project provides an example of how locally manufactured technology can be adapted to serve everyday businesses.
A vehicle built in Morocco has become a coffee shop on three wheels. The next step is proving that the idea can work as a business.