Officials said the facility, which is dedicated to assembling electric SUVs and buses, was completed in April and has already produced 68 vehicles. Accounting Officer, Kgakgamatso Ketshabang, told the Committee last week the plant has assembled 35 electric SUVs and 33 electric buses to date. He explained that both vehicle parts and the assembly equipment were ordered simultaneously, but the vehicles arrived first in January. "Vehicles arrived first in January, then we had to wait for the plant which also arrived in January," he said. "However, we could not begin operations until the car assembly line was fully set up. Upon completion of the plant in April, we then started assembling the cars," he reported.
The vehicles were procured by the Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) in accordance with a Presidential directive. Official data shows that the cost of assembling each electric vehicle stands at $34,000 (or P460, 000). Although there is ongoing work at the facility, Ketshabang revealed that the plant is already operational and currently employs 14 staff members, comprising four engineers and 10 technicians. Amongst the 33 buses assembled so far, one has been designated as a prototype for testing and experimentation purposes. The electric SUVs are equipped with a powerful 150 kilowatt motor, delivering a peak torque of 320 Newton meters and offering an impressive travel range of approximately 520 kilometres on a full charge. The electric town buses can travel up to 250 kilometres before requiring a recharge. The electric SUVs can be fully charged from zero to full in just 20 minutes using fast charging systems, reflecting the government's push towards modern, efficient transport infrastructure.
