• Engadget, Friday, November 4, 2011 10:32 AM

A lime green Kiira EV pictured in this story (with video) may herald the beginning of a new phase in Ugandan transportation. The hybrid car, designed by students at Makerere University, is the first EV ever produced within the central African country.

After some three years of development, the two-seater successfully completed its first test run, reaching a top speed of 65 kilometers per hour. Paul Isaac Musasizi, who oversaw the project, said the Kiira is capable of maxing out at a speed of 150 kilometers per hour, and can run for up to 80 kilometers on a single charge. Most components were designed and constructed within the nation. "When we started the project, we wanted to demonstrate that Uganda has as good talent as that in the U.S. or Germany," Musasizi told Uganda's Daily Monitor. "Now that this is over, we expect and want it to be taken up."

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