BasiGo has moved from pilot to production, beginning local assembly of its electric vans in Kenya, a step that positions the company at the centre of the country’s transition toward clean mobility.
The rollout focuses on the Ma3e model, now the first locally assembled electric van in Kenya. BasiGo is building the vehicles in partnership with Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) in Mombasa, using Complete Knocked Down (CKD) kits to establish a scalable local production line. The company expects to deliver the first 22 locally assembled units to customers between April and May.
The shift to local assembly signals more than manufacturing. It marks the point at which BasiGo begins scaling a model it has already tested on Kenyan roads.
Over the past ten months, the company has operated two electric vans across intercity routes, gathering real-world performance data. Those trials validated both the vehicle and the business model, particularly in high-demand, high-utilisation transport environments. The result is a growing pipeline of over 500 reservations, creating immediate demand for scaled production.
The BasiGo electric vans are built with that use case in mind. The Ma3e offers a range of up to 300 kilometres on a single charge (NEDC), positioning it for continuous daily operations across multiple segments. Public transport operators, schools, corporate fleets, airports, and hospitality services all fall within its target market.
Kenya’s transport sector relies heavily on high-mileage vehicles that run throughout the day, often under cost and fuel pressure. Electric vans introduce a different equation, where operating costs, maintenance, and emissions shift simultaneously. By assembling locally, BasiGo reduces costs tied to importation and positions itself closer to customers and service networks.
The partnership with AVA also anchors the project within Kenya’s industrial base. Rather than importing fully built units, BasiGo is building capacity within the country, a move that aligns with broader efforts to strengthen local manufacturing and create jobs within the automotive sector.
The next phase is scale. BasiGo plans to deploy thousands of electric vans across Kenya, moving beyond early adopters into mainstream fleet operations. That expansion ties directly into Kenya’s climate commitments, particularly in reducing emissions from the transport sector, one of the country’s largest contributors to urban pollution.
At the same time, the model positions Kenya within a wider shift across Africa, where countries are exploring practical pathways to electrify transport without waiting for large-scale infrastructure overhauls.
If the BasiGo electric vans deliver at scale, the impact will extend beyond the company itself. It will offer a working template for how electric mobility can move from pilot projects to everyday operations in African cities, where demand for transport remains high, and the need for cleaner alternatives continues to grow.