Electric mobility company, Opibus has launched its first electric bus, premiering in the Kenyan market. The bus will be undergoing a pilot test as the Electric vehicle company prepares for its commercial introduction later this year.
Opibus is a Swedish-Kenyan technology business that develops, engineers, and produces electric vehicles to aid the continent’s transition to more environmentally friendly transportation.
‘The bus is designed and developed in-house with local engineering talent, while at the same time utilizing local manufacturing partners,” the company said.
Read: First Made In Uganda Electric Bus Takes To The Roads
The firm, which was born out of a research project and is headquartered in Kenya, said that the cars are rechargeable within an hour.
According to TechCrunch, brand new Opibus electric buses will cost Sh11.3 million, while converted buses, which the company is using in the pilot, will cost Sh.6.8 million.
During the second half of 2022, the platform will be put to the test in the commercial deployment of ten buses.
“In doing so, we ensure that we gather valuable feedback to continue the development of the product for an optimized market fit. It feels great to be the first movers in this very exciting space,” Dennis Wakaba, Opibus’ project coordinator said.
Read also: Electric Vehicle Startup BasiGo, Launches Public Transport Bus Service in Kenya
The first Opibus PSVs are set to be deployed in the outskirts of Nairobi, with several charging points.
In December 2021, Opibus partnered with taxi-hailing app Uber to deploy 3,000 electric motorcycles for Uber Boda riders this year. The company said the partnership will help them expand their operations to other countries across the continent.
“Opibus motorcycle stands out from others as it is the first African electric motorcycle, which means it is fully designed and tailored for the local use case, with a robust frame and dual swappable battery packs providing a perfect product-market fit,” said the company at the time.
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