Car & General recently launched its brand of electric rickshaws, commonly known as tuktuks, in the Kenyan market. This marks the company’s foray into the electric vehicle market, which is beginning to gain popularity.
The tuktuk is already a popular means of public transport in many towns in Kenya, and addition of electric units comes as a no-brainer. This will allow Car & General to assess the viability of its potential in the public transport industry. Additionally, C&G is not new in the transport industry, as it is the leading motorcycle and 3-wheel vehicle brand in Kenya for years. Notable brands associated with the company include Kubota, TVS, Toyota forklifts, and more.
Tuktuks are known for their adaptability and maneuverability in congested urban infrastructure and are usually cheap to run and maintain. Not to mention their relatively lower purchase options, which can be facilitated by various payment plans.
Passenger and cargo
The tuktuks come in 2 variants, the Apé E-City FX Max and Apé E-Xtra FX Max. Both have an improved bigger 12 inch tires, enabling it to handle rough terrain. Also, they have become easier to handle and more comfortable overall. In terms of range, the tuktuks have about 145 km of range on a single charge, with an extra 5km to alleviate anxiety in the event of battery depletion.
The Apé E-City FX Max will cater to passenger transport, with improved design for better handling in tight spaces with ease.
Apé E-City FX Max (Passenger Version) Specs
145 km (± 5 km) driving range in a single charge.
Top speed of 50 km/h
8kWh lithium ion battery (51.2V)
44kW peak motor @3,500 rpm
29Nm peak torque
3kW charger
Charge time, 3 hours 45 min
Bigger, 12” tire size
Grade ability of 20%
Warranty – 1 year
Transparent windows on the side
Telematics 2.0 (Improved location accuracy, new features on mobile app for drivers & owners)
Apé FX Max (Cargo Version)
The new Apé FX Max range comes with advanced battery performance resulting in a operation window for optimum returns, which reduces the overall cost of ownership.
Specs:
- 115 km (± 5 km) driving range in a single charge
- Top speed of 50 km/h
- 8kWh lithium ion battery (51.2V)
- 55 kW peak motor @3,500 rpm
- 45Nm peak torque
- 3Kw charger
- Charge time, 3 hours 45 mins
- Bigger, 12” tire size
- Higher ground clearance of 220mm
- Grade ability of 19%
- Warranty — 1 year
- Telematics 2.0 (Improved location accuracy, new features on mobile app for drivers & owners)