Kiira EV

We know almost nothing about the automotive industry in Uganda. There it a local company called Kiira Motors works there. The main products are simple buses, but the company also developed several prototypes, including a compact EV.

Kiira Motors Corporation is a state-owned enterprise founded to create an automotive industry in Uganda. Its story begins in 2007, when a team of students and employees from Makerere University were brought in to create a 5-seat plug-in hybrid for the Indian market. The team went on to design a small electric car in 2011, called the Kiira EV.

The car was unveiled on November 24, 2011. It is considered to be Africa’s first electric car. The name for the electric car was invented by the president of Uganda himself.

It uses a simple electric powertrain consisted of batteries, an energy converter and an electric motor. The Kiira EV battery system includes four battery packs of 64 lithium-ion cells. The 40AH and 207V batteries provide a range of 80 kilometers.

The success of the Kiira EV project was celebrated by locals and recognized around the world. The president then suggested the team to begin preparations to establish a car manufacturing plant in Uganda, which led to creation of Kiira Motors.