BasiGo, an electric bus company operating in Nairobi, announced three major upgrades on its fleet after months of test runs in Nairobi.
The company, on Tuesday, January 10, disclosed that it would increase the capacity of its buses from 25-seater to 33-seater.
BasiGo Chief Revenue Officer (CEO) Moses Nderitu noted that the plan to increase passengers' capacity followed customer feedback and the increasing demand for electric automobiles.
Due to the bumpy roads, which slowed the buses down, BasiGo also committed to having higher ground clearance for ease of driving on Kenyan roads.
With the increasing demand for electric buses, BasiGo further announced plans to negotiate with petrol station owners to set up charging points. The ports would also be expanded to malls.
"We are negotiating with property owners – petrol station and mall owners – who have secure parking facilities, for instance, on Thika Road so that the buses plying the route can be charged closer to where they terminate as opposed to a central depot," Nderitu told Standard.
In March 2022, BasiGo deployed buses to ply different routes in Nairobi's Eastlands area, plying the North Airport Road to Allsops and the Dandora–City Stadium routes.
However, after receiving Ksh516 million (($4.3 million) from Silicon Valley investors, the company unveiled plans to step up assembling by collaborating with Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA).
"Our strategy is to work with existing plants – AVA in Mombasa. They have the expertise for the last 50 years in assembling and are already doing multi-brand assembly of buses and trucks," Nderitu stated.
He added, "Instead of setting up a plant, which is cost heavy and the market is still small, we will work with the companies that have capacity."
To facilitate electric bus expansion, Kenya Power announced a plan to install charging points in various parts of the country. The utility firm also hinted at plans to set charging points in various households in the country.
