Electric Vehicles are gaining traction in the country and Africa as the call for climate change is being pushed with several companies working on building these machines.
Kenya recently launched its first all-electric bus, Opibus and it will be significantly low cost than importing a fully built electric bus.
With this technology moving to Africa, it shows the region is growing in terms of technology advancements.
This electric bus is installed with a powerful motor to give it maximum torque which improves performance while enabling the driver to accelerate more responsively.
Since it is electric it does not have a combustion engine or manual gearboxes, there are no oil filters as well as gaskets that need to be changed.
This results to an 80 per cent reduction in maintenance expenses compared to a diesel bus.
Kiri EV is one of the electric vehicle startups in Nairobi that is targeting the motorcycle taxis and the general public as well as corporate clients.
The company has three models that include the Funstar scooter, Normal Nomad motorcycle and the sporty looking Moran.
The average range of this electric vehicle is 70 to 80 km with a single battery and there is an optional second battery extending it to 150 km. It has a 3KW motor with a 72V 30 Ah battery (LFP), disk brakes and LED lights.
BasiGo is another new generation of ecofriendly buses that are set to reduce carbon emissions in major cities.
They recently raised Sh111.3 million in pre-seed funding to electrify Kenya’s transport system and the capital will fund the construction of 25 and 36 seater capacitieswith a range of about 250 kilometers.
ChargeNet Kenya is also another player in this technology that has set up a number of charging stations in Nairobi.
The charging station at ABC shopping mall, is already in use and has been charging for free, a move that is aimed at promoting the uptake of electric cars in the country.
Nissan have also moved a step and made a 100 per cent electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf. It is equipped with e-pedal that allows drivers to start, accelerate, decelerate and stop.
Last year, Hyundai launched the arrival of its first new electric vehicle following the timely hike of fuel prices.
It is an addition of their first electric vehicle to their range that runs over 400 kilometers on a single charge set to meet the ever growing need for petrol and diesel alternatives.
This vehicle embodies the two fastest growing automotive trends of electrification and sports utility vehicle style carrying the same expressive design with a go anywhere attitude of the regular Hyundai KONA.
The Allied Market Research states that in over a year, just one electric car on the road can save an average 1.5 million grams of carbon dioxide that simply translates to electric cars giving us cleaner streets.
