Kenya’s Largest Commercial Bank, KCB, Partners With BasiGo Kenya To Finance Electric Buses For Public Transport Operators

In a major boost for electric mobility in Kenya, the country’s largest commercial bank, KCB Bank Kenya Limited, a subsidiary of KCB Group Plc, has partnered with BasiGo to finance electric buses for public transport operators. KCB  customers in the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) industry will now be able to access flexible financing options in a deal between KCB Bank Kenya and BasiGo Ltd. BasiGo is an e-mobility startup and financing company supplying electric bus services to sub-Saharan Africa.

The partnership announced today will see customers enjoy up to 90% funding with an extended repayment period of 36 months while supporting them to reduce their greenhouse emissions and enhance their ability to respond to climate change through adaptation and mitigation measures.

In addition, customers will have the privilege to access embedded tracking and fleet management gadgets already installed on the electric bus, plus also insurance financing. Also, battery charging, service, and maintenance will be provided by BasiGo.

“The key to getting electric buses on the road in Kenya is to make them affordable to PSV owners. The partnership we have signed today with KCB Bank is game-changing. It will allow bus owners to secure asset financing for an electric bus exactly in line with how they have been purchasing diesel buses,” said Jit Bhattacharya, CEO and Co-Founder at BasiGo. “With KCB’s pioneering support for this technology and BasiGo’s Pay-As-You-Drive financing, we have made electric buses more affordable and more convenient for owners to purchase and operate than a diesel bus.”

BasiGo’ s electric buses are available to purchase on a blended Sale/Operating lease model. Under this model, the bus is available to purchase from Kshs. 5,000,000, with BasiGo retaining ownership of the battery within the bus. The battery is subsequently leased to the PSV operator via the Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) subscription. BasiGo currently offers Pay-As-You-Drive subscriptions at a price of Ksh 20 per km driven through the subscription, BasiGo mitigates the risks to PSV operators by guaranteeing battery performance and providing all charging and maintenance for the bus throughout its life.

Speaking during the event, KCB Bank Director of Corporate Banking Esther Waititu noted that the arrangement is in line with the Bank’s vision to leverage partnerships that seek to provide value to its customers.

“Entrenching sustainability in our operations means that we always consider our economic, social and environmental impact before we make any decision on partnerships and collaborations. We are delighted to partner with BasiGo as this reflects our commitment to supporting key customers to derive value from their long-standing loyalty,” Waititu said.

Also catered for are KCB SAHL Banking customers who under the Shariah-compliant banking model will be able to purchase the electric buses from BasiGo at affordable rates.

From far left Esther Waititu KCB Bank Director Corporate Banking, Martha Mvati Head of Vihecle Asset Finance BasiGo Robert Mburu Head Assets Base Finance KCB Bank, and  CEO | Co-Founder BasiGo Jit Bhattacharya (right) enjoy a ride inside the BasiGo bus.This was during the official signoff partnership between the two held at KCB Kencom Nairobi County.

BasiGo has recently concluded its pilot program with 2 buses in collaboration with Citi Hoppa and East Shuttle. The pilot buses have been in operation in Nairobi since March 2022. In just 6 months, the buses have:

• Driven over 90,000 km
• Safely carried over 112,000 passengers
• Avoided over 17,000 liters of diesel combustion
• Charged over 400 times from Kenya’s 90% renewable electricity
• Mitigated 42 tonnes of CO2e
• Demonstrated over 98% uptime

BasiGo has already received over 100 reservations for its K6 Electric bus and is set to deliver new buses in early 2023 to SACCO’s on the reservation list.

The partnership comes at a time when institutions are being called upon to embrace sustainable practices by adopting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guide to assist in the attainment of reduced global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide by about 45% by 2030.

It’s good to see that BasiGo has made significant progress over the past 6 months with over 100 reservations for the BYD K6 electric bus. We look forward to seeing these buses on the streets of Nairobi very soon.

Images courtesy of BasiGo

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