BasiGo, a Kenya-based electric vehicle manufacturer, launches its second-generation electric bus, this time receiving an additional range, fast charging capabilities, and improved efficiency.
The new model KL-9, designed by Chinese bus manufacturer King Long, has the capability of carrying 54 passengers and now gets a range of up to 400 kilometers on a single charge. The previous model only offered 280 kilometers since it was launched back in 2022.
According to Basi Go, the new model gets an advancement to enable it to charge fully in under two hours, and it’s being powered by a battery pack supplied by Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, who are the world’s largest battery manufacturers, and also they are involved in supplying the batteries to big EV manufacturers like Volkswagen, Tesla, and a few unmentioned.
This launch comes just a few months after it launched its first electric Matatu, which will pilot on intercity routes. Each van has a 300 km range and can be recharged fully in under 90 minutes. This effort is done to decarbonize public transport within Kenya and beyond it, especially now that it’s involved in supplying the buses to Rwanda.
The BasiGo KL-9 receives a 10-year or 1 million-kilometer battery warranty, promising higher uptime and higher service in its daily operation.
In a statement by the BasiGo managing director, he highlights their movement to a higher-tier OEM; they were able to expand their research and development, this one keeping on spot the King Long as their new original equipment manufacturer.
Currently the company produces an average of about 8 buses monthly, and it’s planning to raise the output to about 20 units monthly coming next year 2026, this will help them archive their vision of 1,000 electric buses on Kenyan roads by 2027. Since being founded in 2021, the company has stated that it has supplied over 75 buses in Kenya and over 100 in Rwanda.