Keeling Curve

Primary Project Category:

Secondary Project Category:

Project Summary / Description:

Our solar-powered tricycles (the Try.Ke), is revolutionary. With the ability to travel a daily range of 60km on a single charge and at maximum speeds of up to 35kph, the Try.Ke is suitable for both urban and rural settings. Furthermore, its ability to carry a payload of 250kg, as well as use the electricity generated on-board, the Try.Ke offers further productive use. Being 100% solar-powered, our product confronts the carbon footprint of vehicles and the routes travelled. Not only that, but we integrate our innovation in a capacity building rapid scaling business approach to scale across Africa.

Regions of Operations:

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Sustainable Development Goals:

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Our solution aims at empowering bottom of the pyramid women and children in rural and urban areas to be able to increase their standards of living by enabling them to earn from further productive uses of electricity through our solar-powered tricycles. We envision an effective energy transition in Africa with women at the forefront of spearheading the use of renewable energy for more than just energy consumption but also as a solution to costly transportation of oneself and goods from one point to the point of sale. This is also most efficient for street vendors in Nairobi - who are mostly women. 

In rural areas, women and children are able to make the most of their daily tasks by swiftly and effectively getting around and in benefiting from off-grid power on the tricycle. Our cycles can be used for water hauling activities, transporting children to and from school, services involving emergency transportation of pregnant women and/or extremely ill people to and from the nearest healthcare facility. Not only that, but the renewable energy aspect of our cycles can be used for further productive uses such as refrigeration of produce from the farm to the market - thus keeping them fresher for longer. It can also be used for lighting and cooking in the evenings instead of using harmful non-renewable methods of cooking and lighting like firewood, kerosene and charcoal. 

This further productive use can also be utilised in urban areas by street vendors in numerous ways. One particular example would be using the Try.ke to transport their stock to the point of sale on a daily basis - completely eliminating the need for costly transportation costs of both themselves and cargo. Furthermore, they are able to diversify their stock by including electronics and refrigerated goods to their commodities. Not forgetting, users of the Try.ke can enjoy the vehicle‚ energy storage capabilities for lighting their homes at night as an alternative to paying electricity utility bills. 

We are honoured to have our product compete directly with the 30 million motorcycles imported into Africa yearly. This shows a massive room for expansion and adaptation as a cleaner, cheaper alternative especially when we consider the population will grow from 1.2 to some 4 billion people this century.

Sub-Categories: