Kenyans can now enjoy a ride in an electric tuk tuk as one Assembled in the country was showcased at the UNEA conference on Wednesday.
Nirmit Dave, commercial manager of Dave Tuk-Tuk Limited, said it was among the few electric auto mobiles in Kenya but the first of a kind in Africa.
He said the tuk tuk has a battery that is charged for only eight hours and can go up to 120 kilometres.
“The diesel-powered tuk tuks use fuel worth Sh600 to travel for 100 kilometres, while the electric tuk tuk only requires eight hours to charge, which is equivalent to three units of electricity worth only Sh40," he said.
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Nirmit said the vehicle is eco-friendly and embraces this year’s theme of the UNEA meeting: Towards a pollution free planet.
According to statistics from NTSA, there are over 2.3 million cars on Kenyan roads today.
UNEP says vehicle pollution is expected to double in the next six years in Nairobi, making it one of the most polluted cities in Africa.
"The auto mobile produces clean energy since it is sourced from hydro and geothermal electricity. It also cuts down on both air and noise pollution unlike the conventional diesel powered tuk tuks in Kenya," Nirmit said.
He added that so far, they have been able to sell two of the tuk tuks at Sh320,000 each. It has a capacity of five passengers including the driver and it has a minimal speed of 40 kilometers per hour.
"For maintenance, all you need is to charge the battery and change it at least once in a year at a cost of Sh40,000," the manager said.
The tuk tuk was assembled in Kenya but the spare parts have been imported from Asia. Nirmit said they are based in Westlands in Nairobi and Changamwe in Mombasa.
The ministerial declaration for the just-concluded UNEA stated that every day, every day nine out of 10 people breathe air that exceeds WHO guidelines for air quality and more than 17,000 people die prematurely because of it.
“Every person should be able to live in a clean environment. Any threat to our environment is a threat to our health, society, ecosystem, economy, security and the well-being of the people.
"That threat is already upon us. Pollution is cutting short the lives of millions of people every year,” the declaration stated.