BasiGo is definitely on a roll. The mobility start-up based in Nairobi, Kenya, will be putting a new electric bus model on the road to meet the growing demand in this East African country. The “E9 Kubwa” can carry up to 36 seated and 18 standing passengers, with a daily range of 400 kilometres without recharging.
But what makes this bus so special, according to BasiGo, is its comfort and technology. According to the company headed by Jit Bhattacharya, the bus is “top of the range with leather seats, Wi-Fi, USB charging points and video surveillance cameras”. Enough to convince the operators of public transport vehicles (PSV) in the Kenyan capital. The latter are increasingly fascinated by low-pollution modes of transport that are easier to acquire thanks to the Pay-as-You-Drive model.
According to the engineering team, each E9 Kubwa saves around 20,000 litres of diesel fuel a year and reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 50 tonnes a year. BasiGo is banking on the Kenya’s potential for renewable energies, particularly solar power, to power electric vehicles.
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Pending the results of the pilot phase currently under way in Nairobi’s neighbourhoods, the commercial operation of these electric buses is scheduled for 2023. Until then, the “K6” model, assembled locally from parts supplied by Chinese manufacturer BYD Automotive, will continue to operate. This is thanks in particular to a partnership signed in 2022 with local operators Citi Hoppa and East Shuttle.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi