Uganda’s readiness to enter the Russian car market was announced by the country’s ambassador to Russia, Moses Kizige. The African state has a very young car industry, it is only 15 years old and 96% owned by the state.
In fact, this is a company with the loud name Kiira Motors Corporation, which produces electric vehicles. Most of its shares are held by the Government of the Republic of Uganda, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Office of the President. Another 4% stake is held by Makerere University.
The question is, can Kiira Motors Corporation really enter the Russian car market and what kind of cars could the company provide us with? on him in his Telegram– the channel was answered by the editor-in-chief of the magazine “Behind the wheel”, the oldest and most authoritative automobile publication in Russia, Maxim Kadakov.
Expert opinion
Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Behind the wheel”:
– Last week major media conquered the question: the African state of Uganda wants to supply us with its electric vehicles – will they be in high demand?
Uganda is not China or South Korea. About 50,000 cars, mostly second-hand, are imported into the country every year. There is no auto industry of its own, although there is a state-owned company Kiira Motors – and it is even completing the construction of its factory, which will employ 2,000 people.
The electric car in question was created over several years by students at the local Makerere University. This is a three-meter coupé with a plastic body, in comparison with which even the Russian Zetta and the infamous jo-mobile are very nice cars.
The double car has a range of only 80 km. Safety? She just doesn’t exist. And the estimated price is 20 thousand dollars (1.22 million rubles). We prefer a right-hand drive Nissan Leaf.
Granted, the Ugandans still have a coupe project and even a solar-powered bus, but they’re still a long way off.