The Afri-Car
A Munich-based start-up is marketing a vehicle that could just emphatically improve mobility in Africa.
Germany. The idea is as simple as it is convincing. Engineers at the Technical University of Munich have developed an electric car that could just emphatically improve mobility in rural Africa. The so-called “aCar” is tough, ready for off-road use, requires little maintenance, and is eco-friendly and affordable into the bargain. At first sight it resembles a golf cart, but it can do a whole lot more. The “aCar” can transport people and goods up to a total weight of one ton. The four-wheel drive makes it especially well-suited for off-road use. And the battery offers a range of 80 kilometres and can be charged in only seven hours at any household power socket. And by virtue of being modular in structure, the vehicle is easy to assemble locally. The price for the basic version is expected to be below 10,000 Euros.
Production to start soon
For four years, the scientists worked away fine-tuning the mobility concept. In 2016 the first prototype was built, and it was successfully road-tested in Ghana in 2017. Since then, project managers Sascha Koberstaedt and Martin Šoltés have founded the company “Evum Motors GmbH” and are wooing investors. And there’s a lot of interest, from outside Germany, too. Soon the first vehicles will go into mass production with the first specimen factory due to open abroad by year-end 2019. The two founders are betting on the fact that many emerging markets will want to establish their own car factories. Moreover, municipal authorities in Europe, garden centres, construction yards and vintners have all likewise shown interest in the car.
