The company was established in July last year following a partnership between Kenya’s electric bus pioneer, BasiGo, and Rwanda’s AC Mobility, popular with the Tap&Go transport service.

Currently, the company’s electric bus service is in the pilot phase in Kigali, with four electric buses on the road since November 23, 2023. The company operates a charging station at Magerwa.

According to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), BasiGo aims to deploy 100 e-Buses on Rwandan roads between 2024 and 2025, before further expanding the fleet to 200 by 2026.

RDB is a government institution, mandated to accelerate Rwanda’s economic development by enabling private sector growth.

The government aims to convert 20 per cent of the public bus fleet to electric by 2030.

Last year, RDB welcomed the BasiGo and AC Mobility partnership, terming it as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to diesel buses.

“This partnership of public transport technology providers in the region will accelerate decarbonization of the sector in Rwanda while also alleviating the current public transport shortage. RDB is intentional in its support towards this investment and growing a thriving market for electric mobility solutions in Rwanda,” said Clare Akamanzi, who served as RDB CEO from February 2017 to September 2023.

BasiGo was founded in Kenya in 2021.

Before establishing its second market in Rwanda, the company led the introduction of electric buses in Nairobi’s public transport fleet.

The company has deployed 19 electric buses across various routes in the capital Nairobi. It aims to grow the fleet to 1,000 buses across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania in the next three years.

The firm offers electric buses to private bus operators through a mileage-based leasing model dubbed Pay-As-You-Drive, which makes electric buses affordable for private bus operators to purchase and use.

Currently, the company’s electric bus service is in the pilot phase in Kigali