Basi Go aims to replace tens of thousands of diesel-powered buses on sub-Saharan African roads with electric ones that generate far fewer emissions. The company's pay-as-you-drive business model has helped make EVs more attainable and is changing the way public transport operates. In a bid to contain the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Kenyan government temporarily suspended public transportation. The suspension lasted only three days, yet the change in air quality was dramatic. The air was so clear that Mt. Kenya—Africa's second-highest peak—was visible in Nairobi, roughly 175 kilometers away. This reprieve from smog sparked the idea for Basi Go's electric bus business. Since then, they've built a fleet of more than 100 electric buses to lease to customers operating them in Kenya and Rwanda. These buses have ferried 15 million passengers since Basi Go's founding. The company doesn't manufacture its own buses—the vehicles come from China and are assembled in Kenya. Basi Go's innovation lies in offering a full range of services that make its electric buses more competitive with internal combustion engine buses, says Jit Bhattacharya, co-founder and CEO.
Instead of simply selling its buses to operators, Basi Go leases them out, offers maintenance services and insurance, and provides a charging network. Customers are primarily individual operators or bus cooperatives, of which there are more than 300 in Kenya. Key indicators include industry (Electric vehicles), founded in 2021, headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Notable fact: Basi Go is the first authorized service provider in sub-Saharan Africa for CATL, the world's largest EV battery company.
Potential for impact: The initial price of electric buses is very high compared to combustion-engine models, but expenses are lower over the long term due to fuel savings. Basi Go's model removes the barrier of high up-front cost. Operators pay a small deposit, 40% less than the down payment for a diesel bus, then pay a daily pay-as-you-drive lease fee. Bhattacharya estimates operators earn 5–10 times higher return on investment over the life of a Basi Go bus compared to diesel. Replacing one diesel bus with electric results in 50 tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions annually. With about 20,000 buses in Nairobi alone, transportation emissions could be dramatically reduced.
Caveats: Basi Go buys parts from Chinese firms including King Long and BYD, but buses must be locally assembled in Kenya, requiring extensive personnel training. The company also faces high up-front costs for infrastructure upgrades and expensive land acquisition for charging depots.
Source: MIT Technology Review · Résumé par HeadlinesBriefing