Kayoola Bus EV: Kiira’s Prototype Electric/Solar Hybrid Full Bus Specifications

We covered The Kayoola Bus Test Drive at the beginning of February and also the small unfortunate mishap a fortnight later. Before that we wrote about the Kiira EV, soon to hit the manufacturing stage. We will now write about a short back story and provide specifications of the Kayoola Bus which has the entire continent excited as to the future prospects of such projects in Africa and and the world.

Kayoola is named after a Luganda word which literally means ‘carry-all’. The 35-seater solar-powered prototype – the first of its kind in Africa – started out as a Makerere University project at the Center for Research in Transportation Technologies(CRTT)  back in 2007, culminating into the success story it is today in such a relatively short space of time.

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The Future
The development of the Kayoola Solar Bus Concept
represents the commitment of the Kiira Motors Project
to championing the progressive development of local
capacity for Vehicle Technology Innovation in Uganda

The Kayoola bus sports a silver shield-shaped grill inlaid with Uganda’s national bird, the Crested Crane also serving as the Kayoola mascot and logo. The interior is fitted with comfy seats that have enough leg room and coupled with the absence of the usual vibrations from regular diesel engines provides for a smooth tranquil ride.

The price of fossil fuel being what it is and non-renewable to boot means that there will come a point in time when it will become a scarce commodity further driving demand for cleaner renewable fuel alternatives.

The Kayoola Bus uses 100% renewable energy and takes advantage of the ever abundant sunshine to power the solar powered batteries that supplement the engine requirements. Say no more to the not-so-cheap routine fuel system servicing synonymous with diesel and petrol engines. With the right charger, the bus can be plugged into your wall socket as easy as plugging in your Smartphone. Charging takes 1 hour.

The allure of riding in a bus that has zero greenhouse gas emissions is too hard to ignore. Public transport has for long been characterised by toxic fumes and dust pervading the air. Anybody in their right frame of mind would jump at the opportunity to experience something new.

We have tabulated the full Kayoola EV Bus specifications below.These are the bells and whistles under the hood that make this unique bus tick.

 DESCRIPTIONSPECIFICATIONS
FEATURESSeating Capacity
35 seats including driver seat
Propulsion systemElectric Motor
Power sourceBattery pack and solar panels
Door typeSingle lock, manually operated door
Tire type10.00 R20
Bus DimensionsLength9140mm
Height3220mm
Ground clearance400mm
Track width2590mm
Wheel base4650mm
Rear overhang2500mm
Front overhang1900mm
PerformanceTop speed100kph
Electric range80km
Approximate Range Extension by Solar12km
Gradeability17.63%
Frame StructureFrameAll Steel, Bolted and Welded Construction
Steering SystemSteeringPower Assist Steering (Hydraulic)
Braking SystemBrakesAir Brake System, Dual line, 'S' Cam Operated
Parking BrakePneumatic Hand Brake Flick Valve
Safety Glass and FittingFront Windscreen3 Piece Laminated Safety Glass lined with PVB Film Curved on the Side
Rear Windscreen3 Piece Flat Laminated Safety Glass
Windows Slide Type Glass Windows Panels
Interior Material FloorCheckered Plates, Bolts and Aluminum Strips Cladding Boarded
Interior Side PanelsFormica, Super Strong Adhesive
WindowsAluminium Case Frames, Plastic Clips, Silicon Adhesive
Roof Fiberboard MDF, Aluminum Strips/Cladding
PowertrainTraction MotorRemy HVH250-115-DOM Electric Motor. Max Power: 150kW
Continuous Power: 100kW
Maximum Torque: 400Nm
Continuous Torque: 210Nm
Motor ControllerRinehart Motion Systems AC Motor Controller PM 150DZ
Maximum DC Operational Voltage: 720V
BatteriesCell Type: Li-on
Energy Capacity: 70kWh
Total Ampere hours: 180AH
On-board Solar Charging SystemSolar Array: 9 AFR-130W and 3YL-50W Solar Panels
Solar Charge Controller: Morningstar Tri-Star 60
Terminal Voltage: 24V
Off-board Charging SystemORCA-Mobile Charger
Input Voltage: 3-Phase, 415V
Max Power Output: 50kQ
Protocol: CHAdeMo Standards 0.9 and 1.0
Auxilliary Battery24v (2 x12v) - 60Amp.Hr
TransmissionGearboxIntegrated Gears
2 Gear Automatic Transmission 1:1 and 3:1
Suspension SystemFrontFront Axle with Progressive Dual Rate Swing
Cantilever Leaf Springs with a Hydro Pneumatic
Shock Absorber
RearRear Axle with Progressive Dual Rate Swing Cantilever Leaf Springs only
Infotainment System1 Multi Disc Music PlayerSony Xplod MED-DV 1700U
USB AV Play back
Playability: WMA,mp3, AAC, Video CD, XVid, DVD,
MPEG-4
Sound: Multi-CH DECODER, DOLBY DIGITAL
Advanced Sound Engine: EQ7, CSO, LPF/HPF
Intelligent Time Alignment
Visual: Picture EQ, Album Artwork Display
2 TFT LCD ScreensScreen Size: 17 Inch
Display Format: 16:9
NTSC/PAL Auto Compatible
4 SpeakersPioneer TS-A697 4S
3 Way Speakers/ 6” X 9”
Max. Music Power: 500W
Impedance: 4 Ohms
Sensitivity: 91dB (+/- 1.5)
Frequency Response: 27Hz to 27 kHz

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Image: New Vision

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