If there one thing more pronounced in Africa than in any other parts of the world, it is that most parts of the continent get strong sunshine all year round. Uganda, one of the African countries lying directly on the Equator has produced a prototype solar-powered bus; the first of its kind to be made in Africa.
Dubbed the Kayoola bus, this solar-powered bus is a creation of the Kiira Motors Corporation. A state-owned company funded by Uganda’s Presidential Initiative on Science and Technology scheme.
It is a 35-seater bus powered by two batteries that can take the bus up to 50 miles on a single full charge. One of the batteries is connected to solar panels mounted on the roof of the bus while the other battery is charged using electricity; an option that comes in handy during night journeys or longer distances travel.
Kiira Motors says the Kayoola bus’s batteries take just one hour to recharge fully and can be used commercially for all kind of duties within cities. The bus can be used as a school bus or for long-distance passenger travel services.
Paul Isaac Musasizi, the CEO of Kiira Motors and one of the brains behind the Kayoola solar-powered bus, said, “In Uganda, we have non-stop Sun. No other countries manufacturing vehicles are on the equator like Uganda. We should celebrate that, and make a business out of it.
I’m really humbled by the response to the bus so far, not only in Uganda but internationally. By launching the bus, we are saying Uganda now has the potential to add value in the world, especially within electric technology.”
