Solar Powered Tricycles, Quadracycles: Nigeria Auto Maker Partners US Group
NIGERIA'S call for increment in its foreign direct investment interests got a boost recently when Okafor Motors, an Enugu based auto maker and pioneer of the made in Nigeria solar electric powered tricycles entered a partnership with Sustainable Communities Corporation, SCC. an Ohio, US based non for profit organisation .
This new partnership is to set up NRG Company ( pronounced energy) and produce several units of solar powered tricycles named Nikeke and ultimately boosting Nigeria's transportation system as well as providing for its operators and lifting them out from the poverty index.
SCC, which is associated with famed battery technologists; Wisconsin Batteries ( Winbat) had followed the inventions of Okafor when he launched his prototype solar powered tricycle and vowed to do something positively drastic.
On the new partnership, the visibly excited Chief Engineer at Okafor Motors; Anthony Obinna Okafor who for many years has played well in the Nigerian renewable energy industry said: "If you would ask me if I believe in angel investors, my answer is definitely yes. Do I also believe in predestination? Oh yes!
The reality before me after the prototype development, was that my dreams will remain mere dreams. But somehow, I kept the faith against all odds and today my instincts have been proven right.
Sustainable Communities Corporation located in United States has proposed a partnership with Okafor Motors, to start mass production of solar- electric powered tricycles under a new entity called Nrg Corporation, with ' Nrg' pronounced as ' energy.
Under this partnership, so many options will be explored. Together with mass production of the prototype, we are also considering several other modifications inclusive of quadracycles and electric bikes.
Other than financing this new partnership, SCC via their subsidiary, Winbat company, will be deploying their hemp battery technology, ensuring that our solar- electric tricycles will become a serious contender with the conventional gasoline tricycles.
On the four years wait since the prototype launch....
"This is definitely a dream come true. 4 years since the prototype was developed, we kept the faith, believing this project will get to mass production phase.
It's wasn't an easy ride waiting within the past 4 years. However, we utilized these waiting periods in modifying our designs, testing out various models to determine which of them is best suited for the local market.
Going forward and based on our research and development within the past 4 years, we are confident of launching at least two different models of this product, one will be a 3 seater plus driver tricycle and the second will be a 6 seater plus driver quadracycle
Also Jeff Greene, a spokesperson for SCC/ winbat spoke on reasons for the partnership with what he considers a "Nigerian Success Story"
According to him "In June 2020, the story of Anthony Obinna Okafor, a Nigerian engineer/ entrepreneur, who built a 3wheel solar/ plugin hybrid electric passenger vehicle in just 21 days went viral. The vehicle was said to run for about a 70 km range on a single charge. Anthony’s plan was to mass produce that solar electric tricycle.
He said his greatest challenge was obtaining the capital needed for volume production. Persistence is the name of the game and Anthony has succeeded in locating a manufacturing partner from the United States, in the form of an Ohio based economic development non- profit company called Sustainable Communities Corporation ( SCC).
"SCC with Okafor motors led by Engr Anthony Okafor will be establishing a new for- profit subsidiary in Nigeria called NRG Company ( pronounced “energy”) and will partner with Anthony and his team to not only produce the vehicle under the trade name “Nikeke,” but all manner of batteries under the trade name “Nibat” and other energy related products in the future. In the near term NRG Co. will also perform battery and plastic recycling.
NRG will initially produce the Nibat batteries needed for the Nikeke vehicle, followed by others for a wide spectrum of other applications. In addition, SCC will be forming a leasing company to make it easier for Nigerians to obtain the Nikekes.