Electric Vehicles: The Future Of East African Safari Travel?
By Britta Foulis – Content Marketing Manager
In June 2019, Asilia will be one of the first safari operators to introduce an electric safari vehicle to our Ol Pejeta Bush Camp, in Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
A Swedish company, OPIBUS, are driven by the overwhelming evidence of climate change and want to ensure that developing countries are on track with the rest of the world in terms of thinking ahead and taking climate change into account.
These electric vehicles have no exhaust pipe and therefore do not emit any hazardous gases or substances into the atmosphere.
Electric vehicles are much more reliable as they rely on only one working part as opposed to the hundreds of parts used in any standard combustion engine.
A typical combustion engine runs at roughly 20-30% of its total efficiency while electric vehicles run at 94-96% efficiency – providing a significant improvement on the performance of the vehicle itself.
The lifespan of an electric vehicle is also more than that of a regular vehicle; the battery packs can easily travel more than 200 000km in their lifetime.
Running costs are greatly reduced in electric vehicles, not having to pay for fuel has the most significant impact and maintenance is almost not needed on an electric motor.
Of course, the biggest drawcard for any safari vehicle is that electric vehicles are almost completely silent. The experience of driving through the bush noiselessly is a whole new experience, minimising disturbances for the wildlife and ecosystems and adding to the pleasure of a game drive for guests.
Watch this short video to get a better understanding of how the vehicles are made and what benefits they will have in the long-run as well as on your next safari.
“All in all, electric vehicles help the passenger feel at one with nature, rather than simply observing it.” – Responsible Travel
The use of these electric safari vehicles allows us the opportunity to use cost-effective, reliable and sustainable practices across all of the areas we work in. We cannot wait to introduce the first vehicle to our current fleet in June later this year and look forward to the positive changes it will bring.
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