President William Ruto drove himself for two consecutive days from State House Nairobi to the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) for the Africa Climate Summit attended by over 20 Heads of State and other dignitaries.
Ruto’s motorcade was also electric sending a strong message about the looming change in the auto sector in the country.
However, what stood out was the tiny three-door electric hatchback picked by Ruto ditching his heavy Sport Utility Vehicle, Lexus. It is known as the Autopax Air Yetu electric car.
Autopax Air Yetu electric car was manufactured in Liuzhou, China, and assembled in Nairobi. The first of its kind in Kenya was launched following a successful partnership between Kenyan electric car company Autopax and the Chinese automobile company SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW).
The costs between Ksh1.7 million to Ksh2 million.
Its Features
The electric car has a four-sitting capacity with the seats embroidered with leather and other climate-friendly materials.
To allow easy movement and driving, it is fitted with a rear parking sensor and camera. It also has radio, USB connectivity, and Bluetooth for infotainment.
Two airbags also protect the driver and front seat passenger in case of an accident.
Other features of the Autopax Air Yetu electric car include a remote door lock and window control, as well as a geofencing alarm. Geofencing alarms send alerts to car owners if their vehicle enters the specified geofence area or leaves it.
Charging
17.3 KWh battery takes eight and a half hours to be fully charged while for the long-range version, its 26.7 KWh battery takes four hours to charge fully.
The standard-range Autopax Air Yetu covers 200 kilometers on a full charge and the long-range Autopax Air Yetu Pro which covers 300 kilometers when fully charged.
To encourage Electric car adoption different companies have set up charging stations in various parts of the country with Nairobi leading the curve.
Super Metro, Metro Trans, and Embassava are among Nairobi bus companies that included electric buses in their fleet.
