23 Mar 2021

Baylee Enterprises t/a AT Bus Body Builders based in Mogoditshane is assembling an electric car.

Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi said the company was importing electric motors and other parts to assemble the electric car. 

“The company has developed the prototype of the electric car and this is currently undergoing compliance process with relevant stakeholders including the Department of Road Transport and Safety,” he said.

Furthermore, he stated that the company was planning to start full production by August 2021 and that the same company was currently manufacturing buses and truck bodies and had planned to manufacture electric cars under the trade name AT Green Tech.

Mr Molebatsi said the company was currently producing 2.5kw motor electric cars with 50km maximum range on a single recharge and intended to expand their production into longer range cars in the future.

He also informed Parliament that the company had not yet patented their products. 

He stated that the company currently employed 45 people involved in bus and truck body building, and that the production of the electric car was anticipated to increase total employment to 100. 

Mr Molebatsi also revealed that 67 vehicles which were using fuel cells had been registered, and that no electrical vehicles had so far been exported.  

Selebi Phikwe West MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse had asked the minister to update Parliament on the development and production of the electric car and to confirm whether there was any firm producing such cars in Mogoditshane or elsewhere.

He also wanted to know the company name, addresses, type, model and other specifications of vehicles developed and manufactured as well as intellectual property and patent details.

Mr Keorapetse also wanted to know the number of jobs created and whether there were such cars on Botswana roads, and whether they were exported and quantities sold so far. ENDS