BasiGo, a Kenyan electric mobility firm that specializes in the production of electric buses, has teamed up with Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd (AVA), a top player in multi-brand vehicle assembly in East Africa, to assemble its buses in Mombasa, a city in the country.
Together, the companies plan to utilize their partnership to produce more than 1,000 electric buses over the next three years, which in turn will generate over 300 jobs in manufacturing and another 300 in related fields such as charging, maintenance, and financing.
According to Moses Nderitu, BasiGo’s Chief Revenue Officer, the partnership is essential for the scaling up of the company’s reputation as it will be the first to assemble electric vehicles locally. This milestone comes after BasiGo’s previous achievement of being the first to introduce electric buses in Kenya.
In addition, Moses Nderitu also stated that the partnership with AVA will aid BasiGo in its transition from 25-seater buses, used in a pilot project guided by feedback from Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators, to 33-seater buses. The buses will begin official operations with Nairobi matatu operators in the coming months.
“With AVA’s decades of experience and certified production processes, we will be delivering high-quality electric buses to PSV operators in the region. Together, BasiGo and AVA are making Kenya a leader in the manufacturing of state-of-the-art electric vehicles, a segment that is destined to grow rapidly in the years to come,” Moses Nderitu also added.
Jit Bhattacharya, CEO of BasiGo also spoke on the partnership and said: “BasiGo is committed to delivering electric buses that are 100% assembled in Kenya. We are elated to be partnering with AVA, the country’s leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles who have had expertise for many years in assembly in the country. We are confident that this partnership will put Kenya on the map as a leader in the manufacturing of modern electric vehicles.”
BasiGo launched in March 2022 and since then has reportedly covered over 141,000 kilometres and transported 185,000 passengers with its electric buses. During this period, the company has been testing its electric buses on real-world routes in partnership with Citi Hoppa and East Shuttle. The buses travel on the North Airport Road, Allsops, Thika Road, and the Dandora-City Stadium routes.
