Small 14- to 35-seater minibus taxis, known as matatus, play a major role in providing transport services for urban commutes in Kenya. Estimates put Kenya’s minibus and bus fleet at just over 100,000 vehicles. Matatu is Swahili for the number three. It is believed the name stuck from the 1970s when the fare was 3p.
With emissions from the transport sector accounting for a huge chunk of the pollution in large cities such as Nairobi, the adoption of electric buses is bound to have a significant impact in reducing emission levels. The electric BYD K6 minibus, which has seating capacity of around 20 or so passengers and with a range of about 250 miles in city driving, is a candidate to slot in perfectly into this ecosystem.
Kenya’s grid is already very clean, with a whopping 92.3% of the locally generated electricity coming from renewables A lot of this capacity is available during the night.
See https://cleantechnica.com/2022/05/09/byd-k6-minibuses-being-piloted-in-kenyas-matatu-industry/
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