Kenyan e-mobility start up, BasiGo is on track to assemble more than 1,000 electric buses in Mombasa.
The start up led by businessman Jit Bhattacharya entered a partnership with Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd (AVA) for purposes of the same.
As the partnership seeks to address the rising demand for electric vehicles, the two companies will create over 300 jobs.
The jobs will be spread in the manufacturing, charging maintenance, and financing sectors.
AVA will assemble 33-seater buses while BasiGo is expected to phase out 25-seater buses used in its pilot project.
According to Billionaires Africa, BasiGo imported about 15 partially assembled 25-seater electric buses in 2022.
AVA finished assembling the buses this month ahead of their rollout.
“We are elated to be partnering with AVA…which has had the expertise for many years in the assembly in the country
“BasiGo is committed to delivering electric buses that are 100-percent assembled in Kenya,” Bhattacharya said.
BasiGo has been piloting two buses since March 2022 with Citi Hoppa and East Shuttle, plying the North Airport Road to Allsops, Thika Road and the Dandora–City Stadium routes.
The buses have covered 120,000 kilometres in the pilot period and ferried over 150,000 passengers.
The company also has an innovative financing model called ‘Pay-As-You-Drive’ which makes the upfront cost of its electric bus competitive with diesel buses.
AVA is an automotive engineering establishment in 1975 and based in Mombasa.
The company is a multi-brand vehicle assembly plant offering vehicle body building, boat building, supply chain solutions and specialty vehicle transformation.