BasiGo has today flagged off the first electric buses in the country for passenger use in partnership with CitiHoppa and East Shuttle transport companies.
BasiGo also announced that they are now taking reservations for the first production units of the K6 Electric Bus. The K6 is a 25-seat, 250 km range electric bus that recharges in less than 4 hours. The K6 is designed by BYD Automotive, the largest manufacturer of electric buses in the world.
Through BasiGo’s unique Pay-As-You-Drive battery financing program, owners can purchase the K6 for Ksh. 5 Million plus a daily subscription fee equal to Ksh. 20 per kilometre which includes the cost of leasing the battery, nightly charging at a BasiGo depot, and service and maintenance for the electric bus. Customers can reserve the K6 electric bus with no deposit and no cancellation penalty. BasiGo shared that delivery to customers of the first locally assembled K6 Electric Buses will begin in the second half of 2022.
“Today marks an important step towards a cleaner and brighter future for public transit in Kenya. We are thrilled to be partnering with two pioneering PSV operators; Citi Hoppa and East Shuttle, to give Kenyans their first chance to ride in an electric bus. These buses will transform expectations for bus travel in Nairobi and we look forward to seeing them carrying passengers in safety, comfort, and with zero emissions on a daily basis. With Kenya’s abundant renewable electricity to power these buses, we can make Kenya a global leader in the shift to sustainable public transit. ” said Jit Bhattacharya, CEO and Co-Founder at BasiGo.
The buses arrived in the country in December 2021 and have undergone extensive validation and reliability testing in preparation for the pilot launch. The buses shall now go into operation as standard PSVs with Citi Hoppa and East Shuttle. Citi Hoppa will be deploying the BasiGo electric bus on routes between the city centre and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. East Shuttle plans to deploy their electric bus on the Eastlands side of Nairobi. The electric bus pilot program will give passengers along these routes the chance to ride in the electric bus just like any other matatu.
BasiGo is an electric vehicle technology and financing company working to bring electric bus services to sub-Saharan Africa. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the company offers electric buses from BYD Automotive along with charging and maintenance services for bus operators in East African cities. BasiGo also makes electric buses affordable to operators through a financing model that allows operators to pay for the battery and charging separately from the bus through a “Pay-as-you-Drive” financing arrangement. BasiGo launched in late 2021 and began pilot testing electric buses in Nairobi in early 2022. In February, BasiGo received Ksh. 388 million in funding led by Novastar Ventures with participation from several Silicon Valley investors including Moxxie Ventures, Nimble Partners, Spring Ventures, Climate Capital, and Third Derivative.