African electric bus provider BasiGo will begin delivering 28 electric buses to Kigali, Rwanda, next month as part of its efforts to expand sustainable public transport in the country, the company said on Saturday.
The new fleet will operate on urban and inter-city routes, with charging infrastructure being installed at the company’s Rwandex depot to accommodate 25 buses overnight. BasiGo aims to deploy a total of 100 electric buses across Rwanda in 2025, following a pilot program launched in December 2023.
“BasiGo is proud to be delivering the largest shipment of electric buses to date into Rwanda,” said CEO and Co-Founder Jit Bhattacharya. “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.”
The company, which has received over 360 reservations from local bus operators, is upgrading its Kigali depot with 1MW of power to support overnight charging. The buses will be operated under BasiGo’s Pay-As-You-Drive model, which includes charging, maintenance, service, and insurance.
See also: BasiGo Plans to Electrify Rwanda’s Public Transport System with 200 Electric Buses by 2024
In October 2024, BasiGo secured $24 million in private equity funding to expand operations across sub-Saharan Africa. The company recently opened an assembly line for its E9 Kubwa model in Kenya, where it plans to produce 1,000 buses over the next three years. The E9 Kubwa, designed locally, can seat 54 passengers, charge in under two hours, and cover up to 400 km per day.