Roam, a Swedish-Kenyan technology company has launched Rome Rapid, an electric bus that is targeting public transport as the race for e-mobility picks up.
The mass transit bus has a capacity of 90 passengers with room for both seating and standing commuters. The bus is equipped with a 384-kWh battery pack that allows for a range of 360 km. It also has the ability to fully charge in less than 2 hours through DC charging ports, giving operators full flexibility to decide their charging and operating schedule.
Roam joins Kenyan electric vehicle start-up BasiGo which has launched Sh5 million passenger electric bus as demand for environmentally friendly transport rises.
Kenya has seen a growing demand for environmentally friendly transport with startups and local companies investing in the infrastructure and manufacturing of vehicles locally.
Electricity generator KenGen and supplier Kenya Power are currently angling to set up charging hubs of electric mobility units. KenGen has already set up one station in Nairobi and is now importing cars to test the hubs.
Dennis Wakaba, Roam project coordinator, had this to say, “The focus for the bus has been to design a robust vehicle with best in class carrying capacity, range and comfort to enable mass adoption of clean transport across the continent.”