- BasiGo, a Kenyan electric mobility startup, has unveiled its electric bus production line at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers plant in Thika, marking the country's first specialised assembly line for modern electric buses.
- This development comes two weeks after Kenya published and launched a draft of its National E-mobility Policy, which is expected to encourage local production and assembly of electric vehicles (EVs).
- The policy aims to develop and review a legal and regulatory framework to facilitate EV adoption and establish zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales targets and investment criteria for domestic car manufacturers and assemblers seeking government incentives.
Recall that on April 10, 2024, a report stated that the electric vehicle company would deploy 1,000 electric buses over the next three years to transform public transport in East Africa. It also planned to assemble 1,000 E-Buses in Kenya for local operators in the next three years, generating 300 green manufacturing jobs.
So far, it has received over 500 orders from bus operators in Nairobi and 100 reservations from operators in Kigali, Rwanda.
In March 2024, the company received KSh396 million ($3 million) in equity funding from CFAO Group to expand electric bus production in Kenya and Rwanda.
Rebecca Miano, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry, stated at the assembly line inauguration yesterday that the government is committed to addressing climate change by reducing carbon emissions.
“One of the key priorities of the Government is addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The transport sector is a significant contributor to carbon emissions and transitioning to electric vehicles presents a sustainable solution to mitigate environmental degradation and address the negative effects of climate change,” Miano added.
https://techpoint.africa/2023/12/06/basigo-raises-5m-aassemble-electric-buses/
In July 2023, BasiGo expanded into Rwanda. It partnered with AC Mobility, a Rwandan supplier of automated fare collection systems for public transportation, to carry out this expansion and address fleet shortages in the country.
