What still seems like a fantasy in Africa’s biggest economy is now a reality in Kenya as Mobility startup Opibus has introduced the first all-electric bus in Kenya, also the first Africa-designed electric bus ever.
Although Nigeria can boast of few strides in the gospel of electric cars, however, Kenya is the current delight of green crusaders as commuters in the eastern African country experience the thrill of electric bus in Kenya’s public transport system.
According to Opibus, a Swedish-Kenyan technology company that designs, develops, and deploys electric vehicles, the development in Kenya’s is part of the company’s first major step towards a vision of providing a locally designed electric bus that can be mass-produced for the pan-African market by 2023.
“Following this, the platform will be tested at scale in commercial deployment of 10 buses during the second half of 2022. In doing so, we ensure that we gather valuable feedback to continue the development of the product for an optimised market fit. It feels great to be the first movers in this very exciting space,” said Dennis Wakaba, project coordinator for public transport at Opibus.
The deployment of the buses will initially be in peri-urban areas around Nairobi Metropolitan. Along with the bus deployment, several charging points will be installed from Opibus’ existing range of products. These chargers will be a mix of AC (slow) and DC (fast) chargers – using the fast charger, the electric bus will be fully charged within an hour.
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Opibus said the bus will be significantly lower cost than importing fully-built electric buses, and also has superior performance compared to its diesel counterpart. With the installation of a powerful motor, the bus has maximum torque which improves performance while enabling the driver to accelerate more responsively.
“As a driver, you have peace of mind because you are not exposed to any vibrations and noise that is synonymous with diesel engines, especially from a big bus like this one. This bus is very silent,” Benjamin Maina, a commercial bus driver told Voice of Africa.
Aside from silence and comfort, reduced costs and service also make it more profitable and an attractive business proposition for other drivers.
“If you get 1,500 Kenya shillings, take 1,000 for fuel, and on a trip, you will be left with 500. But this electric one will be more profitable because it will cost 200 Kenya shillings to charge, of which even in an off-peak trip of 50 Kenya Shillings, you will be able to make at least 1,000 profit in a trip,” concluded bus driver Timothy Musembi.
Founded in 2017, Opibus is the leading provider of electric vehicles designed and manufactured locally. Its vision is to create reliable and cost-effective products designed for the pan-African mass market.
The company raised $7.5 million in equity and grant funding late last year to help it scale its operations, and it has now rolled out its first electric bus in Kenya as the first major step in its plan to provide a locally designed and developed electric bus that can be mass-produced for the pan-African market by the end of 2023.
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