BasiGo set to deliver 28 electric buses in Rwanda, marking the first phase of a 100-units supply

BasiGo is set to deliver 28 electric buses in Rwanda, scheduled for delivery between April and May. This delivery marks the first phase of the company’s plan to deploy 100 electric buses across the country by 2025.

In late 2022 the Kenyan startup BasiGo announced $6.6 million in new funding. Money that brought BasiGo’s total funding in 2022 to $10.9 Million and aiming to enable the company to begin commercial delivery of locally manufactured electric buses and charging infrastructure through the company’s unique Pay-As-You-Drive financing model.

At that time the company reported that the company aimed to have over 1,000 electric buses deployed in Kenya by the end of 2025. The company relies on buses from BYD (specifically the 25-seats K6).

BasiGo to deliver 28 e-buses in Rwanda

The expanded fleet will serve both city and inter-city routes. Since launching its electric bus pilot in December 2023, BasiGo has received over 360 reservations from local bus operators looking to replace aging diesel fleets or expand their services with electric alternatives.

To facilitate this growth, BasiGo is upgrading its charging and service infrastructure. The Rwandex Service and Charging Depot, soon to be the largest of its kind in East Africa, will accommodate more than 25 buses nightly with a 1 MW power capacity. Additional charging stations will be deployed nationwide to support inter-city operations.

BasiGo’s Pay-As-You-Drive model offers a comprehensive solution that includes vehicle charging, maintenance, and insurance, along with a 90% uptime guarantee. This approach enables bus operators to transition to electric mobility without the high upfront costs typically associated with electric buses.

In line with its expansion, BasiGo has strengthened its leadership team by appointing Jones Kizihira, former CEO of AC Mobility, as Head of Vehicle Asset Finance. Kizihira will focus on developing financing solutions to accelerate the adoption of electric buses among Rwandan transport operators.

“BasiGo is proud to be delivering the largest shipment of electric buses to date into Rwanda,” said Jit Bhattacharya, CEO and Co-Founder at BasiGo. ” Rwanda’s commitment to sustainable transport has created an ideal environment for private sector investment and innovation into E-mobility. With this first major shipment of electric buses, BasiGo is proud to help Rwanda take a major step towards the goal of universal, electrified public transport for the country. “

“Over the last 15 months, we have proven the reliability of our electric buses and the value of our model to the Bus Operators. We are confident in our capacity to meet the Rwandan bus market needs,” said Doreen Orishaba, Managing Director of BasiGo Rwanda.