Over 1 million buses travel the roads of Africa, providing the most affordable and accessible daily transportation solution.
Speaking during the first Electric Mobility conference in Kenya,Mr. JIT Bhattacharya, CEO of BasiGo Startup ,one of the managers of Electric Mobility vihicles in Kenya,he said,as our cities grow, we need a revolution in sustainable public transport.
Buses in Africa consume over 1 billion liters of diesel each year. With diesel emissions choke the air across all cities and diesel engines are one of the largest sources of CO2e emissions leading to climate devastation on the continent.
Kenyan electric mobility startup BasiGo has partnered with the Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd (AVA) to assemble its buses in Mombasa as demand for electric vehicles is forecasted to rise in the coming years.
He said this sector is going to creat more opportunities to mostly the young talented innovators that will change lives across Africa.
The companies project to make over 1,000 electric buses in the next five years, creating over 300 jobs in manufacturing, charging, maintenance, and financing.
“We have done this to promote green energy by the year 2025,we have to move to have electric vehicles “,he said
He added that the buses have covered 120,000 kilometres in the pilot period and ferried over 150,000 passengers.
The company has also patnered with over 270 saccos to manage all the buses countrywide.
BasiGo essentially operates as an asset finance company, leasing electric vehicles to local bus operators. Last year March, the company partnered with several buses companies including the East Shuttle, two local operators, to introduce two 25-seater electric buses to Nairobi.
BasiGo plans to grow its revenue by installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure going forward.