BasiGo sets sights on 16 EV charging stations in Nairobi by December
Managing Director, Kenya Power & Lighting Company, Joseph Siror with BasiGo CEO, Jit Bhattacharya during the launch of BasiGo new charging station in TJ&U garage in Buruburu, Nairobi on May 24, 2023. PHOTO | LUCY WANJIRU | NMG
Kenyan electric mobility startup BasiGo has announced plans to establish at least 16 electric vehicles (EV) charging stations across Nairobi by the end of the year as the country’s e-mobility revolution continues to gather pace.
The revelation was made by the firm’s CEO Jit Bhattacharya who spoke on Wednesday during the launch of its first-ever public charging station domiciled within the TJ&U garage in Nairobi’s Buruburu estate.
“This is our third charging depot in the city but it is the first to be open to members of the public. We are looking to establish 16 such stations across Nairobi by December this year before rolling out the service to other parts of the country,” stated Bhattacharya.
The Sh4 million facility which has the capacity to charge six buses at a go, BasiGo says, will for a start serve its current fleet of 17 buses till December when it will open up for third-party public use.
“This is a charging station with the capability of charging six electric buses simultaneously but it also has the scope and the space for us to eventually expand to the charging of 30 electric buses at this first area,” stated Bhattacharya.
The charging cost will be incorporated in the firm’s pay-as-you-drive subscription scheme where buyers pay a daily fee of Sh20 per kilometre to cover the cost of leasing the battery.
Bhattacharya told Business Daily that the typical recharging period for a bus at the station is two hours, with the charging often happening at night since the power is sufficient to run a full-day ride.
BasiGo also revealed that since its entry into Kenya’s e-mobility space in March last year, its fleet has to date covered 280,000 kilometres on Nairobi roads, ferried 360,000 passengers and in the process mitigated the emission of 120 tonnes of carbon.
The startup has set sights on deploying 1,000 electric buses in the country by 2025 as it pursues its long-term ambition of achieving zero emissions on the distance covered in the wake of accelerated global climate change effects.
