Kenyan electric vehicle manufacturing company Roam has launched electric buses for public transport.
An electric bus aimed at public transportation has been introduced by Roam Electrics, a Kenyan manufacturer of electric vehicles. The 90-passenger Rome Rapid electric bus provides space for both standing and seated travellers and is powered entirely by electricity.
The company wanted to create an inclusive, modern, efficient and sustainable mobility solution. “The focus for the bus has been to design a robust vehicle with best in class carrying capacity, range and comfort to enable mass adoption of clean transport across the continent,” said Dennis Wakaba, Roam Project Coordinator.
The bus comes with a 384-kWh battery pack that allows for a range of 360 km and has the ability to fully charge in less than 2 hours through DC charging ports hence giving operators full flexibility to decide their charging and operating schedule.
The Changing Transport Organisation report found that between 2000 and 2016, Sub-Saharan Africa experienced a 75% increase in emissions, with transport emissions increasing by 153% in Ghana, 73% in Kenya, and 16% in Nigeria.
Following the health and environmental concerns and the need to reduce dependency on oil imports, electric mobility is currently gaining prominence across the continent’s public and private sectors. Electricity company KenGen and supplier Kenya Power are currently planning to set up charging hubs for electric mobility units.
KenGen said it has already set up one station in Nairobi and is now importing cars to test the hubs. On the other hand, Kenya Power announced Tuesday that it would test its stations in Nairobi and Nakuru next month. Roam joins Kenyan electric vehicle start-up BasiGo which has launched an Sh5 million passenger electric bus as demand for environmentally friendly transport rises.
In January, car and General (C&G) promised to start selling electric vehicles and tuk-tuks as part of a plan to diversify into the ‘green’ mobility business expected to grow amid a push to address climate change and pollution.
About Roam Electric
Roam Electric Vehicle Manufacturers was established in 2017 as an electric mobility Company. The company focuses on all-electric conversion kits for fleet vehicles such as light trucks, public transport and buses, as well as electric motorcycles and energy systems.
