A lot of intracity passenger bus services in various African cities are run by private players using small- to medium-sized buses ranging from 14- to 36-seat models. Some routes are also serviced by higher capacity buses.
The first 2 Kubwa buses have begun pilot testing with existing BasiGo customers Super Metro, OMA Services, Embassava, Citti Hoppa, Metro Trans, and East Shuttle plying the Dandora route. The E9 Kubwa seats 36 passengers with the option of 18 standing passengers. BasiGo has designed the E9 for urban bus operations where buses typically hold 33 to 41 passengers. The bus can be recharged in 2 hours at BasiGo’s DC fast charging depots and can drive up to 400 km per day with a mid-day charge.
Through its Pay-As-You-Drive financing model, BasiGo is offering the E9 Kubwa for a purchase price of Ksh 7.5 million and a mileage-based subscription of Ksh 40 per km for charging and maintenance provided by BasiGo. BasiGo has also announced a new lease option, enabling owners to adopt the electric bus for a much lower upfront cost. Each E9 Kubwa electric bus is expected to help Kenya reduce diesel consumption by 20,000 liters per year while also reducing CO2 emissions by 50 tonnes per year.