Cost of owning and maintaining the electric car Ruto drove to KICC

President William Ruto made headlines at the Africa Climate Summit when he drove the Autopax Air Yetu electric car to the event.

The car is a locally manufactured electric vehicle that is set to revolutionize the Kenyan automobile industry.

Here is a breakdown of the running cost of the Autopax Air Yetu electric car that President William Ruto drove to the Africa Climate Summit.

Price: The Autopax Air Yetu electric car is estimated to cost between Sh1.5 million to Sh1.7 million. This makes it one of the most affordable electric cars in the Kenyan market.

President William Ruto driving the Autopax Air Yetu electric car from State House to KICC President William Ruto driving the Autopax Air Yetu electric car from State House to KICC Pulse Live Kenya

Fuel cost: According to Dr Isaac Kalua, the founder of Green Africa Energy the parent company of Autopax Yetu, the president used only Sh10 worth of electricity from State House to KICC.

He explained that a trip from Nairobi to Thika would consume about Sh90, which is significantly lower than the fuel cost for a petrol car. He added that an Autopax Electric Vehicle spends 40% of what one would have spent on petrol.

READ: Investor pumps Sh420B into Ruto's electric boda boda roll out, SEZ & EPZs plan

Range: The Autopax Air Yetu electric car has two options: the standard range model with a 17.3 kWh battery that has a stated range of 200 kilometres on a full charge, and the extended range model with a 26.5 kWh battery that has a stated range of 300 kilometres on a full charge.

President William Ruto driving the Autopax Air Yetu electric car from State House to KICC President William Ruto driving the Autopax Air Yetu electric car from State House to KICC Pulse Live Kenya

This means that the car can cover a considerable distance on a single charge.

Maintenance cost: Electric cars have fewer moving parts than petrol cars, requiring less maintenance. This translates to lower maintenance costs over the lifetime of the car.