2021 was a very exciting year for us. We started the year with an agenda to do as much as possible to electrify the whole of Africa. True to our vision, we are proud to have worked to move closer to actualizing this.

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We got to tap into new markets.  From the East African Region, we expanded to West Africa. What an expansion! New partnerships that fortified our vision were formed. Not forgetting, a groundbreaking success when we received the biggest Fundraise ever in electric mobility in the Sub-Saharan region. Adding to that, we pioneered the first-ever converted electric mining vehicle in the country. 

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2022 has a lot in store for us! With developments in charging infrastructure, new partnerships, expanding to new regions and much more. This is just but the tip of the iceberg. Keep reading to know what mind-blowing discoveries we have in store for you. This year we will skyrocket the continent!

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GOALS WE CRUSHED IN 2021!

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The energy sector is changing rapidly. In the past years, there have been numerous efforts to reach a renewable energy future. In 2021, we witnessed nations across the world boldly make big changes in a bid to save the earth from the looming catastrophe of global warming. More nations took up the mantle of climate change. 

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In the African continent, countries are waking up to the need for switching to renewable energy. In Kenya, the transport sector is going electric. Opibus has been at the forefront of transforming the vehicle sector. When the year began, so did a new chapter. Our commitment to transforming Africa’s transport infrastructure can be demonstrated with a preview of our achievements last year. 

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1. sub-saharan Africa's largest-ever fundraise in electric mobility

In November 2021, we secured a 7.5 USD funding round to support our mission to electrify the whole of Africa. Through years of hard work, this is a significant milestone that we should appreciate and celebrate! This achievement marks the continuation of our relentless work to provide accessible electric mobility to everyone. We are very proud and glad to have the backing of At One Ventures, Factor[e] Ventures, Ambo Ventures and others in the largest electric mobility fundraise in Africa ever!

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The funding was a huge success for us. With it, we are more capable of creating sustainable ecosystems for mass transport in Africa. The switch to electric motorcycles is imperative. This is especially true with the pollution that fossil-fuelled motorcycles produce. In addition to this, is the cost of running and maintenance the driver has to incur.

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Our motorcycles are cost-efficient. The use of rechargeable battery technology as opposed to petrol ensures the driver cuts up to 50% cost of ownership. This is achieved because the vehicle is virtually maintenance-free and charging with electricity is far cheaper than gasoline. This at the same time as we offer our motorcycle for the same prices as a fossil fuel equivalent.

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2. The development of the next-generation motorcycle, which is, strong and reliable

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Last year, we worked tirelessly towards our next-generation motorcycle which we are getting more excited to reveal. The motorcycle is developed and designed in Africa for Africa. Prepare yourself for a motorcycle that easily withstands extreme conditions and that will take you everywhere you need to go.

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The best part, your fuel bills and maintenance costs will reduce immediately after driving your new electric motorcycle for the first time. 

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Do you want to ride our next-generation motorcycle? You can pre-order the electric motorcycle on our website. 

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3. Conversion of mining fleets to electric

In less than 4 years we have managed to change the landscape of EVs in Africa. After spending several years developing electric vehicle systems, we did what no other automotive company had managed to do. We introduced our first African made electric mining vehicle. 

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The vehicle is tailor-made for the mining industry in regards to power and reliability. The benefits of using electric mining vehicles far outweigh those of diesel-powered mining fleets. 

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With an electric mining vehicle, you stand to spend less on maintenance costs. There is a significant reduction in ventilation energy requirements and associated surface infrastructure. Our electric mining vehicles mitigate the risk of fire and overheating, which is a common concern in diesel-hydraulic machines within enclosed environments. There is more efficient energy consumption since our electric vehicles consume less energy overall.  In addition, there is lower carbon dioxide and emissions and other pollutant emissions.

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We also provide charging and energy solutions as the vehicle can be charged completely of solar to lower operational costs even further and minimize diesel transport. The promise of electrification in underground mining is undisputable.

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Our team can convert the mining fleets of vehicles to electric ones. This is good news for the mining operator as they do not have to invest in new vehicles. This reduces cost as well as resource usage. However, we can still make a new mining vehicle that is completely electric. There is no comparison between diesel-run and our electric mining vehicles.

4. We were featured in the October issue of National Geographic and the December issue of Forbes Africa

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We were published in National Geographic’s October issue. In this article, we stand beside Toyota Motor Corporation, Tesla, Zero motorcycles, and Volkswagen of America, Inc, some of the world’s largest manufacturing companies. Although it’s not a victory just yet, we are glad that we stood beside giant automotive companies like this. 

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To our contentment, we were recognized by National Geographic once again in their article. This shows we are making an impactful difference to be featured twice in the last quarter of the year. We are proud to be mentioned as one of the champions and "environmental victories" of 2021.

In the December print issue of Forbes Africa, the article featured our Electric Vehicle conversion system, our new electric motorcycles with the swappable batteries and our model swapping stations.

It was such a great honour to be recognized as the leader of the electric revolution in East Africa.

5. A successful pilot with Uber

In the last quarter of 2021, we scored a huge partnership. We successfully completed a pilot program with Uber. Using Uber’s platform, we intend to scale up the use of electric motorcycles in Africa. Uber’s platform offers services across the continent. This grants us new opportunities to tap into new markets where they have existing operations. With this, we can accelerate the mass adoption of electric vehicles across the continent.

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6. East Africa Superbike Championship, Race 1

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In March 2021, we were thrilled to be participants in the East Africa Superbike Championship, Race 1. The race was held at The Whistling Morans, Athi-River, Machakos County. We were represented at the motorcycle race by one of our own. It was the first time in history, that an electric motorcycle had ever taken part. 

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The event was graced by Kenya’s CS for sports Amina Mohamed. Our motorcycle stirred quite the impression to all including the Cabinet Secretary. We couldn’t be more excited for the races to come as we develop our motorcycle for ultimate performance in the race tracks.

7. We organized Demo days

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We also want the public to have a personal experience with electric vehicles. As such, we organized demo days. The company was open to receiving all interested parties from all walks of life. This was a great opportunity.

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It allowed the one-on-one experience and a quench of thirst to curious minds. The platform allowed for questions, test rides and a tour of the company as a whole. It was a huge victory that we intend to keep practising.

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Are you interested in paying us a visit? Fill in the contact form on our website and request your test ride today!
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5 THINGS WE HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU IN 2022!

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1. Reveal of the next-generation motorcycle

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The grand reveal of our next-generation motorcycle is just around the corner. This brand-new top-of-the-line electric motorcycle will turn your world upside down. It has a robust, futuristic and stylish design. With its large frame, it offers a bigger capacity for carrying more passengers and luggage. 

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As a consumer, you are guaranteed high-performance both on the road and off-road. This ensures performance even in harsh terrain as that of Africa. The Motorcycle comes with additional improvements on the batteries. It has dual battery compartments: this means, swapping of batteries is now possible. Say good-bye, to range anxiety.

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With this technology as well, the driver does not have to wait for full charging of the battery whenever they get to a charging station. All they need to do is exchange the empty battery with a fully charged one and leave the empty one at the charging station. This saves on time and unnecessary expense.

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Did you know it also comes with a portable charger? Yes, you can carry it along with you. The portable charger can charge your battery from your office, home or wherever you are so long as you have electricity.

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We went out, researched, worked on the design and now, we are ready to present it to you. Nothing says innovative technology like Opibus electric motorcycles. 

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Do you want to be one of the first to try our new product when revealed? Sign up for our newsletter to get the update when we reveal the next-generation motorcycle.
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2. Preview of the first locally assembled electric vehicle

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In Kenya’s 2019/2020 budget, the excise duty for all those who wish to import electric vehicles was reduced. However, this duty reduction did not have a significant impact in achieving Kenya’s goal to have 5% of its vehicles fleets electric by 2025. It was concluded that in order to move this dream into actualization, the country needed to have an auto assembly factory for electric vehicles. This in addition to limited charging stations, has contributed to the slow shift to electric transport.

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We, as Opibus, have seen great potential amidst this challenge. We will be unveiling a new electric vehicle, the first of its kind in East Africa! We have been converting vehicle fleets, but now, we are about to launch our own made electric vehicle. What’s more exciting than driving our own African-made electric buses and coaches? This is great news! 

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The transport sector stands to reap the most benefits from Electric Vehicles. Our transport buses and coaches will have, lower cost of operations and minimal maintenance costs. This is in addition to reduced air and noise pollution, especially in the cities.

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This move is further motivated by the current government incentives set to make the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) competitive to fossil fuel vehicles. Our buses will indeed be the way to go!
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3. New upcoming partnerships

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Right now, we operate in Kenya, East Africa and West Africa and we have partners across the continent. These partnerships, present the opportunity for us to work faster towards the actualization of our vision to make electric transport more accessible to a broader market using a technology that is more cost-efficient.

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This year, we have new upcoming partnerships from new regions in the continent. We will be breaking into new markets. With these partnerships, we come one step closer to transforming the transport sector in Africa. This is in addition to simplifying the deployment of our electric vehicles to new markets around the globe. 

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4. Guaranteed career opportunities

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As the company continues to grow, there will be a creation of new opportunities in terms of career opportunities and to our partnerships as we serve a broader market.
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Opibus is a high paced work environment with an ambitious vision of changing the world where it matters the most. 

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If you are interested in a career where every day is about creating real change, we would love for you to get in touch.

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5. Charging infrastructure

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Opibus will be leading ENERGICA’s demonstration site both in Kisumu and Nairobi in showcasing solar-powered swapping stations for electric motorcycles. We will also be installing more of our AC and DC charging stations within Nairobi. 

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All of this is just a sneak peek of what we have planned for 2022, and there is much more to be revealed as the year goes by!

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We have proven ourselves true to our vision once again, to electrify the whole of Africa by offering unique solutions to all things ‘electric’ in the realm of transportation. Our products remain authentic, tailored for the African terrain. The solid partnerships formed and advancement in the African market speaks for our credibility as a company. We have worked with corporations to provide electric vehicles infrastructure, as well as EV Charging services. Our electric vehicles are tailored for personal driver needs as well as commercial and industrial workforce's needs. With this, we have gained major traction within the automotive industry. As the year starts, we are prepared to reach heights unattained before. This is as we continue to lead the lead electric transformation in the African continent