Expect bigger electric buses in Nairobi and Kigali

September 15, 2025

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Kenyan electric bus company BasiGo has begun local assembly of KL-9 electric buses in partnership with Chinese bus maker King Long and Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM). The first unit was unveiled last week, marking a milestone in Kenya’s electric vehicle production journey. The partnership targets a production capacity of 20 buses per month from next year.

  • In addition to electric motorcycles and three-wheelers, Kenya is also producing electric cars and buses. Interest in local assembly went up following passage of pro-EV laws, proving that policy clarity is the backbone of a thriving EV assembly industry.

  • Funding has enabled BasiGo to double its output from 10 to 20 e-buses per month. In contrast, Kiira Motors in Uganda continues to struggle with limited financing, hindering its ability to produce e-buses locally.

  • Our take: Cheaper fully built EV imports may undermine local assembly.… Read more (2 min)

Smart Europe, a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler, has introduced its lineup of luxury electric cars to Morocco, its first market in Africa. The electric cars are designed in Europe and manufactured in China. Mercedes-Benz and BYD distributor Auto Nejma has been picked as Smart’s distributor. Orders for the Smart #1, Smart #3 and Smart #5 models open this week. 

  • Chinese EV companies like BYD are winning the price war, making them early leaders in the mass market segment in Africa. European companies like Smart, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and BMW are focusing on the luxury market to compete.  

  • Africa’s EV market is small, and the luxury segment is even smaller. This market is tipped to grow as the number of high-net-worth individuals and incomes in most countries rise. 

  • Our take: Luxury EVs from companies that already have a reputation for being premium brands will likely gain traction faster in Africa… Read more (2 min)

South African EV charging company Rubicon has cut its workforce by 12% in the past one year, according to an analysis of LinkedIn data by Mobility Rising. The data shows that the company, the second largest in South Africa, reduced its employee count by 33 between September 2024 and September 2025. This has left it with 266 workers listed on LinkedIn. 

  • This was the biggest reduction in staff count among the continent’s 25 leading EV companies ranked by Mobility Rising based on multiple parameters.

  • Despite the overall reduction in the number of employees, Rubicon increased its sales team by 10 during the same period.   

  • Our take: South Africa’s unreliable grid makes the charging market ripe for disruption with off-grid charging solutions… Read more (2 min)

Kabisa team in Rwanda hands over four 100% financed EVs to new customers

Events

📅 Attend DealerCon Expo in South Africa (Sept 17)

📅 Register for sustainability in urban mobility conference in Nigeria (Oct 8)

📅 Interact with EV tech at Auto Expo in Tanzania (Nov 5)

Jobs

🛠️ Join MojaEv as an After Sales Officer (Kenya)

💼 Apply for Regional Lead Generation Manager’s role at MAX (Nigeria)

🛵 Become a Junior Logistics Officer at Dodai (Ethiopia)

Various 

🔋 Roam allows riders to rent batteries at KES 20 ($0.15) per hour

🔌 Ethiopia is becoming an unlikely leader in the electric vehicle revolution

⚡ Charge hosts the Korean Automobile Environmental Association in Cape Town

Seen on LinkedIn 

Hans Van Toor, Head of Strategy and Innovation at Roam, says, “A sector that provides affordable, clean access to transport while creating high value jobs, builds an industrial base for valorizing underutilized nighttime energy and a fiscal income base.”