BasiGo to put 200 electric buses on Rwandan roads by end of 2024
Kenya-based electric bus supplier BasiGo has made a second entry into the African market with the launch of BasiGo Rwanda. The new entity is to focus on electrifying the public transport system in Rwanda.
BasiGo has partnered with AC Mobility, Rwanda’s provider of automated fare collection systems for public transport. The partnership should enable the delivery of 200 electric buses announced in June to bus operators in Rwanda by the end of 2024 with a pay-as-you-drive financing system.
The first electric buses for the capital, Kigali should already be delivered to transport operators from October this year. In Nairobi, Kenya, BasiGo delivered 19 vehicles with a similar financing model. In both East African countries, the vehicles used are BYD’s K6 electric bus, which has 24 seats (plus a driver) and can travel up to 250 kilometres on one battery charge. BasiGo assembles the vehicles in Kenya.
The motor has an output of up to 100 kW, and the battery is a lithium iron phosphate battery from BYD. According to the manufacturer, the electric bus can be charged with 30 kW of nominal power (60 kW maximum), which means the battery is fully charged in less than four hours.
All buses will be offered via a “pay-as-you-drive” or kilometer-based financing model provided in collaboration with AC Mobility. This provides most of the required financing to transport companies to purchase an electric bus. BasiGo says this model brings electric bus costs almost on par with the upfront cost of a diesel bus. Operators can then subscribe to BasiGo with a per kilometre fee, which includes leasing the battery, charging at BasiGo charge stations, and service and maintenance provided by BasiGo.
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