EKA Mobility to supply 35 electric buses to Zanzibar

Indian electric commercial vehicle manufacturer EKA Mobility has announced plans to supply 35 electric buses to Zanzibar, Tanzania. It has already delivered an initial batch comprised of 15 units. Zanzibar plans to use EKA Mobility’s electric buses for public transport operations on the island from 1st August. Local authorities have initiated the test phase ahead of the start of commercial service over the coming weekend. EKA Mobility suggests that these are the first electric buses for public transport in Zanzibar, saying they mark the beginning of the island’s shift to zero-emission public transport. Zanzibar President Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi and Indian High Commissioner to Tanzania Bishwajit Dey attended the flag-off ceremony for the first batch, underscoring the significance of the event. The Indian electric commercial vehicle manufacturer says that Zanzibar Social Security Fund (ZSSF) and another organisation called Global Rapid Transport (GRT) are also involved in its latest deployment. According to a report from Uchumi360, regular commuters will pay 700 Tanzanian Shillings (€0.23 euros), while students and people aged 70 and older will pay a concessional fare of 350 Tanzanian Shillings (€0.12 euros). The first 15 of the 35 electric buses Zanzibar has ordered from EKA Mobility are the 12M, which measures 12m in length, 2.6m in width, and 3.6m in height and has a 6.2m wheelbase. The company offers it in a 43-seat version with a 2×2 layout and a 54-seat version with a 3×2 layout. The EKA 12M features a 240kW motor and a 300kWh LFP battery pack that can be charged at up to 240kW. It can achieve a top speed of 80km/h, climb grades of up to 17º, and travel up to 250km on a single charge. EKA Mobility expects Zanzibar to order 115 more of its electric buses for public transport service in the future, bringing the fleet total to 150 units. Commenting on the deployment of the first 15 units, Vijay Yelne, the company’s president of export marketing and supply chain management, said: “This is another step in taking Indian engineering to the world, and we see Africa as a key growth market in EKA’s global expansion journey.” Info via email, uchumi360.com