Super Metro premiers BasiGo electric bus in Nairobi routes
Super Metro Sacco, one of Nairobi’s top public transport providers, has unveiled electric bus to serve passengers in its city centre to Kikuyu and Kitengela routes.
The 25-seater K6 electric bus has been sourced from BasiGo, a Kenyan mobility startup that has been marketing electric buses along with charging and maintenance services for public transport.
“Kenya has a vibrant public transport system that provides a vital service to millions of people each day. Today, we are proud to hand over this transformative bus to Super Metro, one of Nairobi’s leading public transport operators,” BasiGo CEO Jit Bhattacharya said.
“Through this partnership, BasiGo and Super Metro are bringing Nairobi commuters a cleaner, quieter and more comfortable journey on buses powered by 90 percent renewable energy generated right here in Kenya.”
In December, BasiGo imported a total of 15 electric buses into Kenya and noted that the vehicles were destined for deployment in city routes as part of initiatives to provide smart travel services.
According to BasiGo, K6 is a 25-seat, 250km range electric bus that recharges in less than four hours and is designed by BYD Automotive, the largest electric vehicles maker in the world.
The K6 electric bus introduced by BasiGo includes a premium passenger coach with synthetic leather seats, free WiFi, USB charging ports and an onboard television screen.
Read also: BasiGo nets Sh800 million fresh capital to assemble electric buses in Kenya
Since launching in March 2022, BasiGo’s electric buses have driven over 150,000 kilometers and carried over 200,000 passengers as part of fleet operations with two Nairobi bus operators.
The company says it will supply over 1,000 locally manufactured mass transit electric buses to transport operators in Kenya over the next three years.
“Super Metro prides itself on providing excellent and seamless services to our customers. Our decision to introduce electric buses into our fleet is therefore based on our desire to be a leading and efficient transport partner for all our commuters,” the Sacco chairperson Nelson Mwangi Nduki noted.
BasiGo makes electric buses available to operators through “Pay-As-You-Drive” innovative financing model, which makes the upfront cost of their electric bus competitive compared to the alternative, diesel buses. In November last year, Basi-Go secured US$6.6 million (about Kes804 million) raising the company’s funding in 2022 to US$10.9 million as the firm readies for the commercial delivery of electric business in the country.
The company also indicated it had received over 100 reservations for smart buses from customers. To enhance uptake, BasiGo inked a partnership with lenders KCB and Family Bank to advance up to 90 percent financing for the purchase of electric buses.
