E-mobility company BasiGo has introduced its 36-seater electric buses tailor-made for the Kenya market. The company refers to these as “E9 Kubwa” buses (Kubwa means big in Swahili) and are meant to address the needs of Nairobi’s urban transport operators.
Most mini buses operating in Nairobi can accommodate 33 to 41 passengers. The E9 Kubwa buses accommodate 36 passengers with the option of accommodating 18 more standing passengers.
Besides the seats, these buses have a few extra features we do not have on most buses operating in the city. These include leather seats, WiFi connectivity, CCTV cameras and USB ports for charging at every seat. Adding these extra features is a sure way of making the buses attractive as public transport in Nairobi isn’t known for its comfortability. I just hope that these features will be kept in good condition as people use the buses.
Read: BasiGo to Launch its Electric Buses in Rwanda
Rapid Charge takes 2 Hours
BasiGo also says that the E9 Kubwa buses offer rapid charge taking 2 hours. A single charge is rated to last up to 250 KM. Charging can be done at BasiGo’s DC Fast charging depots. As of May this year, BasiGo had 3 charging depots in Nairobi in Embakasi, Kikuyu and Buru Buru (around TJ&U garage). The company has plans to have 16 charging stations in Nairobi by December.
The E9 Kubwa has a 210kWh battery manufactured by CATL. The battery comes with an 8 year or 600,000 Km warranty. According to BasiGo, these buses can travel up to 400 km every day with a mid-day charge. Operators can charge at any time of day or night for free with BasiGo’s Pay-As-You-Drive financing.
BasiGo is offering a purchase price of Ksh 7.5 Million for the E9 Kubwa, coupled with a mileage-based subscription of Ksh 40 per km for charging and maintenance. This is not cheap but BasiGo has its Pay-As-You-Drive financing models, making it more accessible for bus operators to adopt electric buses.BasiGo will assemble these buses in Kenya and says it has received reservations from several Nairobi bus operators, including Super Metro, OMA Services, Embassava, Citti Hoppa, Metro Trans, and East Shuttle. BasiGo plans to assemble over 1000 electric buses in Kenya over the next 3 years through its partnership with AVA.
