An interesting news hit today’s headlines, as Uganda’s Makerere University has just unveiled the country’s first electric car, the Kiira EV. The project has been led by Paul Isaac Musasizi, who also tested the vehicle and gave the press statements about the electric two-seater.
Kiira’s performance is modest, compared to the Nissan Leaf or any other electric car produced in the United States or Japan. It can only brag a top speed of 65 km/h and an autonomy of only 80 kilometers. Dr. Musasizi says the Kiira can climb steep hills, up to a maximum of 55 degrees.
“The vehicle can pick speed very fast, the motor stands strong, the reverse is perfect, it properly climbed a 55 degrees incline, the performance is good,” he says.
The steering components have been imported, but the drivetrain has been assembled with locally-manufactured components.
The project had initially started in 2009, but because of some financial issues the team of 25 only started work in December 2010, when they got a grant from Uganda’s President Museveni. If they’ll find investors, the car’s final price will be between $10,000 and $15,000. Pretty expensive for the poor specs, in my opinion.
