It’s always sunny in Uganda. That’s one reason why the future looks bright for East Africa’s first solar-powered electric bus.

 

The Kayoola bus, created by Ugandan engineers at Kiira Motors Corporation, sports solar panels on its roof to capture the powerful rays that beam down on the equatorial nation. Quartz reports that the 35-seater can travel up to 80 km (50 mi) on two rechargeable batteries that run off the solar panels.

 

Due to this restricted travel range, the bus is intended for inner-city use rather than inter-city travel. Kiira is hoping that the Kayoola can assist in Uganda’s public transportation problem, according to a local news source.

 

A prototype of the bus took its first test drive on January 31, and the official launch is set for February 16. Watch a short clip of it in motion below.

 

By 2018, Kiira hopes to employ up to 7,000 people involved with the production of the Kayoola, BBC reports. It looks like the wheels are being set in motion for cleaner transit in Uganda. And maybe it’s time for Wikipedia’s contributors to add an “Africa” category to its pages on electric and solar buses. (grist.org)