source
Ugandan company Kiira Motors Corporation unveiled the prototype of its innovative new creation: the Kayoola, Africa’s first solar powered passenger bus.
An incredible design
The CEO of KMC, Isaac Musasizi, said:
“Uganda is privileged to be among the 13 countries in the whole world that are situated along the equator. We decided to take advantage of this strategic position to improve transport technology.”
The bus has two batteries, one of which can be charged via solar panels on the roof. It can also be plugged into a power source. The solar panels give the vehicle enough energy to run nonstop for 8 hours. Musasizi said that the Kayoola can seat 35 passengers, has a power capacity of 150KW and a solar power load of 1320 W. Albert Akovuku, KMC’s Vice President of Production, said:
“This bus has zero-tail pipe exhaust, it is eco-friendly, there is no emissions in terms of noise and gases.”
Because it has restrictions on how far it can travel, the Kayoola will be used for trips in urban areas rather than in rural places.
A job creator
This endeavor could potentially be a great job creator for the country. Musasizi shared that most of the features were locally sourced and that the bus was created by around 100 local workers. One of the engineers behind the project, Junior Africa, grew up in rural Uganda. He always dreamed of becoming an electrical engineer. With a lot of hard work and family support, he was admitted to Makerere University, studying clean energy sources for transportation vehicles. And now, he has the chance to be a part of this exciting project. Musasizi hopes that there can be more success stories like this one. He also wants to help the country “champion the automotive, engineering and manufacturing industries.” He predicted that by 2018, the Kayoola bus will create over 7,000 jobs. Another goal for the company is to have all manufacturing and assembly happen in Uganda by the year 2039. Investment from international companies is required to make these visions come true.
Reducing pollution
Pollution is a big problem in most developing nations and rising urbanization can make it worse. Dr. Kiggundu Tamale from Kampala told VOA News that:
“Air pollution has become one of the biggest challenges faced in Uganda, especially in urban centers… In Uganda, the main cause of air pollution is transport, especially rapid motorization that is being experienced in urban areas.”
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Sandy Stevens Tickodri said that the Kayoola has raised the standards for green technology in the country. The minister believes that the solar bus will help address Uganda’s transportation issue:
“We have buses all over the world but Ugandans must be proud to be championing a technology that represents clean energy.”
The bus will officially launch on February 16 at Kampala Serena Hotel.
SEE ALSO: Morocco Is Building World’s Largest Concentrated Solar Power Plant.
