Oxford-based vehicle electrification firm Electrogenic has sprouted an official branch in Kenya, helping local SUV owners transition to a more efficient power source. The whole initiative started with a collaboration with Sarara, a camp in Matthews Range that had suffered from frequent business disruptions due to its dependency from diesel fuel.
For many years, the Sarara camp has been organizing safari trips and photo tours for wealthy tourists visiting Africa. Whenever a rainy season hit, roads between the camp and the nearest town would end up completely washed out, preventing fuel trucks from coming in and keeping the local Land Rover Defender fleet running. This has resulted in months out of business, even if the roads inside of the reservation itself remained traversable. Needless to say, Electrogenic saw an opportunity.
Arriving on the spot, the tuner rebuilt two local Defenders using its E63 electrification package. It included a single 163-PS (161-hp / 120-kW) electric motor and a 62-kWh battery pack rated at 258 kilometers (160 miles) of heavy off-road range per charge. One more Defender ended up with a superior E93 pack including a 204-PS (201-hp / 150-kW) motor and a 93-kWh battery pack good for at least 322 km (200 miles) off the grid, according to the tuner.
Remarkably, all three off-roaders can be charged from a regular wall socket, a CCS-standard power outlet, or a solar farm. The latter option should prove especially viable for the isolated location of Sarara – even in the rainy season, the company claims. Aside from packing more power and torque than their diesel past selves, the rebuilt Defenders are also much cleaner for the environment and don’t make nearly as much noise. If you ever went uphill in a rattling African off-roader, you’ll know how difficult it can be even just to hear the guide sitting next to you. Well, not anymore.
Inspired by this development, Sarara is now offering its own electrification services via Electrogenic in Kenya.
