Kenyan Electric Mobility Startup BasiGo Partners with AVA to Assemble Over 1,000 Electric Buses, Creating 300 Jobs

BasiGo, a Kenyan electric mobility startup, has joined forces with Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) to produce more than 1,000 electric buses in the city of Mombasa over the next three years, leading to the creation of over 300 jobs in manufacturing, charging, maintenance and financing. The partnership comes as the demand for electric vehicles is expected to surge soon. AVA will assemble 33-seater buses as the company looks to replace the 25-seater buses used in its pilot scheme. BasiGo has announced that the buses will begin operating with Nairobi’s matatu operators in the upcoming months.

Last year, BasiGo sent out 15 partially assembled 25-seater electric buses that were subsequently completed by AVA in recent months. Since March 2022, the company has been conducting a trial with two buses in collaboration with Citi Hoppa and East Shuttle, operating on the North Airport Road, Allsops, Thika Road, and Dandora-City Stadium routes. These buses have logged 120,000 kilometers during the pilot phase and carried over 150,000 passengers. The positive outcome of this pilot project has given BasiGo the confidence to expand its operations and expand its fleet of electric buses.

According to Jit Bhattachary, the CEO of BasiGo, the company is committed to producing electric buses that are assembled in Kenya. He also expressed his excitement about collaborating with AVA, a company with a long history of assembly expertise in the country.

BasiGo has other plans to grow its business soon, in addition to its partnership with AVA. The company is also looking at ways to increase its revenue, one of which is by establishing an electric vehicle charging infrastructure within the next two years. This move will not only support the growth of the country’s electric vehicle industry but also give BasiGo a new revenue stream to tap into.

The partnership between BasiGo and AVA represents a significant advancement for the Kenyan electric vehicle sector. Not only will it generate employment opportunities and boost the economy, but it will also aid in reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. With an expanding fleet of electric buses and the addition of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, BasiGo is well-positioned to become a player in the Kenyan electric mobility market.

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