Kayoola, which means mass carrier, is the very first solar powered bus to be made in Africa. It was  unveiled by Mr. Isaa Musasizi, the CEO of Kiira Motors Corporation,a Uganda-based company. Musasizi said that the most materials used on the bus like the roofing material and stainless battery banks, were locally sourced and were assembled by a team  Ugandans who did the welding, spraying and wiring among other assemblage for the bus. He said that they hope that the company will in a few years be able to manufacture all the parts and assemble the vehicle in Uganda.
The 35-seater bus relies on 2 lithium-ion batteries which power an electric motor that is coupled to a 2-speed pneumatic shift transmission, a feature to make it environment friendly. One of its two batteries can be charged by solar panels on the roof which increases the vehicle’s 80km (50 mile) range. The Kayoola is however intended for urban areas rather than inter-city use because of the restrictions on how far it can travel. The solar bus will officially be launched by Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, on February 16 at the Kampala Serena Hotel with an estimated cost of $58,000 (£40,000) after mass production and is expected to create more than 7,000 jobs either directly or indirectly by the year 2018.

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