The Kiira Electric Vehicle, Proudly Ugandan!

November 11, 2011 Editor 0

Uganda’s first electric car

The Centre for Research in Transportation Technologies (Vehicle Design Project), College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology has successfully conducted the first test drive of its flagship concept, the 2-seater Electric vehicle.

Codenamed the Kiira-EV, the flashy green vehicle made its first test runs around campus roads on the bright Tuesday, 1st November 2011 afternoon, with crowds eagerly craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the car as it zipped around.

The KIIRA EV powertrain employs a simple   battery electric vehicle powertrain consisting of an Energy storage bank, energy converter and a rotary machine (induction motor).  It is powered by electricity which is stored in the in the battery bank through repetitive charging.

The battery system of the Kiira EV consists of Lithium-ion batteries with very high energy storage capabilities, high charge acceptance, high specific power and high energy density. The battery system banking is unique consisting of 4 battery banks of 64 cells connected in series. The banking ensures energy system modularity for effective battery monitoring, safety, increased reliability and maintenance. The battery bank capacity of 40 AH and  207 V is engineered to achieve an inter-charge distance 80 km, a requirement for a commuter student vehicle on Makerere University campus.

At the brief official flag off ceremony officiated by the Vice Chancellor Professor Venansius Baryamureeba, the audience; mostly made up of students and members of the media bore the assault of the afternoon sunshine to listen to remarks from the project’s Principal Investigator and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Dr. S.S. Tickodri-Togboa.

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor commended the Principal, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology for successfully steering the college to the yet another historical event. He extolled the Principal Investigator and his team for working tirelessly to ensure that the concept was successfully transformed into Uganda’s First Electric Car.

Kiira-EV Design Specifications

• 2-Seater Electric Car
• 3000mm long, wheel base 2175mm, 1600mm wide and 1500mm high
• Front wheel Drive
• Aluminium-alloy chassis
• Target Speed 60 km/hr and Range 50 Km
• Curb and Cargo weight is 500kgs and 200kgs respectively

Categories: Energy, Innovation

Tags: car, college of engineering, electric vehicle, ev, Kiira-EV, markere university, seater, uganda