My affordable car

ECONOMY

by THE OLBIOS TEAM

While cars are ubiquitous in so many countries., they’re hard—and expensive— to come by in much of Africa. Joel Jackson’s Mobius Motors is attempting to fill the gap with sturdy, affordable vehicles. The company envisions the slimmed-down SUVs being used by local entrepreneurs—from cab drivers to mobile medical care, to delivery services. Mobius Motors does not just building vehicles more suited to local demand, but transport platforms that empower local entrepreneurs to run profitable transportation businesses with Mobius vehicles to end-users in their communities. The range of businesses is vast, from public transport, to mobile medical care, to goods delivery – transforming Africa’s transport network. At the same time, the majority of roads in rural and peri-urban areas of sub-saharan Africa are degraded. Roads are often cracked and riddled with potholes. Rural roads in particular are invariably uneven, sandy/rocky tracks; making transportation difficult and ultimately restricting mobility. The most common vehicles across regions like East Africa are imported from more developed countries such as Japan, UAE and India. These vehicles are designed for areas with good road infrastructure – they are not built for an African environment. High import duties also make these vehicles relatively expensive. Beyond high purchase prices, running a car in countries like Kenya is also expensive. High maintenance costs as a result of bad roads and inappropriate vehicles have continued to push the cost of owning a car up, locking out entry-level buyers, particularly entrepreneurs who require cost-effective vehicles in order to successfully operate their businesses. Witness

 

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