(Uganda) Kiira ev SMACK

Automotive manufacture is a serious goal heating up in the East Africa region.  Uganda comes in with an answer to Africa's private mobility needs after an earlier achievement of a full electric vehicle namely the Kiira EV prototype.  This time they created a proof of concept for a production vehicle with a Hybrid powertrain to match called the Kiira EV Smack. 

"East Africa’s first hybrid electronic car has gone on display in Kenya ahead of its production in 2018.

The Ugandan-made Kiira EV smack will be launched in Nairobi later on Friday as the manufacturers seek potential investors willing to fund their dream.

Kiira Motors Corporation, the manufacturer of the vehicle, is looking for $300 million to enable them begin production.

The hybrid electronic vehicle was conceptualised and made in Uganda, and now is seeking for potential investors across the East African region.

Chief Operations Officer of  Kiira motors, Albert Akovuku says: “The amount of investment that is required 350m USD.”

A first for East Africa, the Uganda government has already committed $70 million as seed funding.

Akovuku says : “ By 2018, we should have the first car out of the production line for the east African market.”

The moment the engine is off the battery takes over and gives you extra mileage

However,  in a region that does not generate enough electricity the car has been termed by many in Uganda as a prestige project, one likely to become a white elephant.

Not so says Akovuko who is driving the dream of having East Africa’s first hybrid electric car.

“The engine in there is a generator, when you are the on the road and the electric mode is off the generator automatically charges the batteries to give it traction, the moment the engine is off the battery takes over and gives you extra mileage.”

Hybrid electronic cars combine the benefits of gasoline and electric motor engines with the aim of attaining fuel economy, speed and engine efficiency.

The Kiira is no different says the manufacturer, who hopes to sell it at $20,000 per car.

What started as a university project, is now a Ugandan government project. The Ugandan government says it is stopping at nothing until Kiira EV smack in on the road in East Africa and soon across the continent."

Courtesy of

http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/0ae62f004632dfbc9c53fd96d4703d1f/East-Africas-first-hybrid-car-to-be-launched

(Nigeria) Innoson vehicles

The first step in realising vehicle production to interest local vehicle development through established joint ventures. Nigeria brings an answer to getting Africas mobility needs sorted.

The company, which is a proud manufacturer of made in Nigeria cars, buses, tankers and other products, would as from August 8, 2014, introduce brand new cars into the Nigerian automobile market at the cost of Nigerian Naira 1.5million equivalent to US Dollars 9000.

The chairman and chief executive of the company, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, who announced this in Enugu yesterday, said the cars, which would be fully air conditioned with every other specification, is aimed at getting Nigerians to own brand new cars.

T

he most expensive of the cars, according to Chukwuma, would cost Nigerian Naira 3.5million equivalent to US Dollars 21,000. 

IVM introduces automotive products from China, Japan and Germany. It's product line includes heavy duty vehicles, middle and high level buses, special environment friendly vehicles. The company carries out optimization design and assembly according to west african road condition so as to produce suitable products at affordable prices.

http://innosonivm.com/en/ProductList.Asp

(Ghana) Kantanka suv phase 2.

It's remarkable to see Apostle Dr.Kwadwo Safo push forward to establish an African automaker on the continent. With alot of effort and time, West Africa seems to be realising that dream a day at a time. It has been a buzz on Ghanaian media and the African continent at large.

Courtesy of the Ghanaian webportal "ghanaweb.com" the enterprise is described further.

The ‘Star of Africa’ set of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and Pickups are ready for sale, according to Kwadwo Safo Jr, CEO and Executive director of the Kantanka Automobile Company Limited, which produces the Kantanka vehicles.

The company has produced commercial quantities of the two vehicle types for the Ghanaian market.

A subsidiary of the ‘Star of Africa’, an organisation well known for its inventions, the Kantanka assembling plant has been more focused on the mass production of these two vehicles for months now.

“Now we have produced the SUVs and Pickups and they are ready for sale. But we have also opened our doors to anyone who wants to do a test drive of the car any day.” Safo Jr told StarrFMonline.com.

The vehicles, Safo Jnr. said, meets international standards and will soon prove to be the most economical brand-new vehicles to acquire on the Ghanaian market.

The car parts are imported, but assembled here in Ghana by a workforce of about 200 young men between the ages of 15-25, most of whom have no formal education and training in automobile engineering.

The plant can produce eight vehicles a day. It could increase the production rate by four or more, depending on market demand.

The founder of the Kantanka Star of Africa brand, Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo, is the brain behind all the Kantanka inventions.

Apostle Safo's son, Safo Jr, says his father is dedicated to making the Ghanaian a little more comfortable in their daily routines.

“My dad is always thinking ‘what’s next?’ So I love engaging in conversation with him. I look up to him a lot because although he is not as educated as I am, he always has something new to share.”

“What I love most is his ability to take that which is widely used, turn it around, and make an invention that will propel that device to respond better to the needs of the Ghanaian. He knows what a machine is meant for: to make life easy, and he ensures he does so in all his inventions.”

The government of Ghana has hinted at the possibility of investing in the growth of the company by buying majority of the vehicles for state institutions.

Kwadwo Safo Jr told StarrFMonline.com that Ghanaians are warming up to the Kantanka brand since it started the awareness a month ago, and many are developing some level of confidence in the brand.

“At first people were skeptical. I remember one gentleman was asked if he would buy a Ghana-made car, and he was quick to say 'no'. After a test drive, he proclaimed he would buy a Kantanka vehicle any day.”