.@Opibus1 has converted 4X4s for use in mining and other utility roles. The process is not cheap: prices start at just under $40,000 to convert a Toyota Land Cruiser and Land Rover, a 10-to-14-day process involving parts sourced from all over the world. edition.cnn.com/2022/03/01/afr… 
Kenya, East Africa's largest economy and a country where over 90% of domestically-produced electricity comes from renewable sources, presents a strong platform for clean electric mobility.
Fransua Vytautas Razvadauskas, mobility and cities senior consultant at market research company Euromonitor International, cites high prices as a barrier to entry, but so too infrastructure.
"For the EV rollout to be successful (in 🇰🇪), a large supply of charging units -- both public and private -- are needed to prevent range anxiety. This will, in turn, demand large investments in the upgrade of electricity distribution units, at homes and businesses," he explains.
Using electric vehicles for public transport overcomes range anxiety and charging infrastructure issues to a degree. A bus operator knows how many kilometres it will travel in a day, what route and where it will stop, and charging units can be planned accordingly.
In January, Opibus began an electric bus pilot in Nairobi, installing off-grid solar power stations to charge its batteries (the company sells a range of off-grid solar modules and batteries -- a clean energy source but also indicative of Kenya's history of blackouts).
The 51-passenger vehicle hasn't been tested commercially yet, but the company plans to do so later this year.
Opibus plans to manufacture the bus for a Pan-African market in 2023. It also has competition. Another Kenya-based startup, BasiGo, has announced it plans to start its own electric bus pilot program in March.
In December 2022, Opibus announced a strategic partnership with Uber as part of the ride-hailing company's aim to be fully electric by 2040.
Opibus will supply 3,000 motorcycles this year and is working with a financing partner for Uber drivers to own the electric motorcycles for commercial use.
The company has sold 150 units to date and plans to produce 12,000 motorcycles in 2023. Outside Kenya, Opibus has motorcycle trials with different partners in Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Opibus received significant backing in the form of a $7.5 million round of investment in November 2021.
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