The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Kenyan electric mobility company BasiGo has introduced its second-generation electric bus, promising longer range, faster charging, and greater efficiency as it targets expansion in East Africa’s public transport sector.
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The new 54-seater model, dubbed the KL-9, has been designed by Chinese manufacturer King Long and is assembled locally at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers plant in Thika. It can cover up to 320 kilometres on a single charge, an upgrade from the 280km range of the company’s first e-bus launched in 2022.
Powered by a battery from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL)—the world’s largest battery producer and supplier to Tesla, BMW, and Volkswagen—the bus can fully recharge in just two hours. BasiGo says the battery comes with a 10-year or one-million-kilometre warranty, guaranteeing reliability and lower operating costs for fleet owners.
BasiGo Kenya Managing Director Moses Nderitu said the switch to King Long as its original equipment manufacturer allows the company to tap into stronger research and development capabilities. He noted that the KL-9 is not only more efficient but also easier and faster to produce, supporting BasiGo’s plans to scale output.
Currently producing about eight buses a month, the company expects to more than double production to 20 units per month by 2026. Founded in 2021 by Jit Bhattacharya (CEO) and Jonathan Green (CFO), BasiGo already operates 75 buses in Kenya and over 100 across East Africa under its pay-as-you-drive model.
Beyond large buses, the start-up is piloting 16-seater electric vans on routes including Nyahururu–Nyeri, Nyahururu–Nairobi, Nyahururu–Nakuru, and Thika–Nairobi, and says it has received over 100 reservations for the new vehicles.
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To support adoption, BasiGo is also partnering with local oil marketing companies to grow its DC fast-charging network, with new smaller charging sites planned outside Nairobi.
The company has raised more than $48 million in funding to date as it pushes to electrify public transport in the region.
