Mobius Motors – Wikipedia

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Mobius Motors Kenya Ltd. is an automobile manufacturer founded for the African market in 2010. [first] The name Mobius comes from the so -called Möbiusband, which represents a special mathematical surface.

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Mobius Motors designs, constructed, tested, produces and sells SUV vehicles for the rough road conditions and the rugged terrain in many parts of the regional African infrastructure. [2] Mobius uses a simplified design approach to produce durable, affordable vehicles. Mobius can thus compete with used vehicles that are currently dominating the East African automotive market. [3] [4]

It is the only official motor vehicle manufacturer in Kenya and the only operational OEM in the East African region. [5]

Joel Jackson is the founder and CEO of Mobius Motors. Before Mobius was founded, Jackson worked on the business strategy of a micro-forestry social company in the rural area of ​​Kenya. He also advised companies in Europe and North America as a management consultant. He received the Ted Fellowship and Echoing Green Fellowship. Joel Jackson is a graduate of Imperial College London with a first -class conclusion in computer science.

2009–2011 [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

Joel Jackson recognized the need for a robust, affordable vehicle to improve the transport options in Kenya, especially in rural areas. He formed a small team that built the “Mobius I”, the first prototype of Mobius Motors after ten months of research and development. [6] Mobius I provided valuable findings and shaped Jackson’s approach for a simplified design and the intelligent use of finished and tried out components to keep the development costs low.

Initially, the company operated from a small shed in Kilifi, on the Kenyan coast. The company then moved to Mombasa and then to Nairobi, where today’s headquarters with a showroom in Sameer Business Park are located on Mombasa Road. [7]

Jackson formally registered Mobius Motors in 2010 as an automobile manufacturer. [3] He set up the company’s operation independently until 2012 additional external financing was procured.

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2011–2016 [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

The first round of financing made it possible to start Mobius Motors with the design and development of the second prototype. This finally led to the first production model. [8] This improved model was called “Mobius II” and offered a more sophisticated design and better technology than the previous model.

In May 2014 it became known that with the support of the billionaire Ronald Lauder, a small series of 50 cars will be produced in the same year. The price was now specified at $ 10,000 or 870,000 Kenya shillings. The first model was set to 950,000 Schilling in October 2014. [9]

Later in 2014, the long -awaited first production units of Mobius II came onto the market. Despite concerns due to the shift in the introduction date, the vehicles were very well received. [ten] A minimalist design was used for Mobius II that adhered to the basic functionality and initially foregon options such as power steering, door handles, GPS navigation and glass windows. [5]

The 50 vehicles that Mobius Motors had produced in collaboration with KVM (Kenya Vehicle Manufacturer) were sold out in June 2016. [11] [twelfth]

The Mobius I There was a prototype. This was followed Mobius II . Both are explicitly designed for the needs of African consumers. The waiver of equipment features such as air conditioning and power steering lowers weight and costs. [13] The series model from October 2014 offers eight seats. [13] The payload is given as 625 kg. [13]

According to the manufacturer, a four-cylinder single-engine engine with a displacement of 1598 cm³ and 86 hp power drives the vehicles. [14] The top speed is given at 120 km/h. [14] The vehicles are 38883 mm long, 1805 mm wide and 1874 mm high. [14] The empty weight is given as 1275 kg. [14]

The Mobius 3 was announced in May 2014 and again in October 2014 for 2016. [15] [13]

Mobius I – the prototype [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

Mobius I was Mobius Motors ’first prototype; A functional vehicle consisting of a steel tube frame and mostly off-the-helf parts (existing components of other vehicles). Despite the construction costs of 1.4 million, according to the founder, the prototype looked like a “dune buggy”. Although the prototype Mobius I of welding and mechanics from the A time- Industry (informal sector in Kenya was manufactured by small dealers, craftsmen and entrepreneurs), he already demonstrated that there is potential to build a car that can travel both paved city roads and not fortified paths in rural areas. [8] Building on this prototype, the subsequent Mobius II was developed.

Mobius II (1. Generation) [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

After increasing external financing, Mobius Motors started working on the next prototype for the first series model. [2] The Mobius II (first generation) presented itself more detail in technology and design; Developed by a team of professional engineers. The costs for the construction of this second prototype were 1.5 million, with a record development plan of just three months. [9]

In October 2014, Mobius Motors started the production of Mobius II (first generation) with a sales price of around KES 1 million. This price made him the cheapest new vehicle in Kenya. [11]

From now on, the term Mobius II refers to the vehicle segment (vehicle class), not to the sequential continuation of the prototype Mobius I. [4]

Declarations

  • The Mobius II body is 3.9 m long, 1.8 m wide and 1.85 m high with a ground clearance of 28 cm. The vehicle has an empty weight of 1265 kg and a maximum charging capacity of 625 kg.
  • The Mobius II is driven by a 4-cylinder petrol engine with 1598 cm³ and an output of 63 kW at 5500 rpm. With the 5-speed manual transmission, the vehicle reaches a top speed of 120 km/h.
  • The maximum torque of 128 Nm is reached at 3000 rpm.
  • The 3-door Mobius II is designed for eight passengers, 2 front and 6 on the rear seats.

Although the market had well received the vehicles and all 50 cars were sold out in June 2016, the Mobius II was described as too spartan by some critics. [twelfth] For example, the vehicle lacked air conditioning, power steering and lockable doors, and it only offered canvas/linen instead of glass for the side windows. The car had a lockable compartment in the center console, in which owners were able to keep the personal items safely to avoid thefts. [13]

Customers also had no options for additional or special equipment, a restriction that is counteracted in the new model with several equipment variants and options. [5]

The new Mobius II (2nd generation) [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

The new Mobius II (2nd generation) has a longer and wider body. It measures 4.2 m in length, 1.9 m in width and 1.8 m in height with a wheelbase of 2.4 m. The car also has an improved ground clearance of 33 cm.

  • The empty weight is 1650 kg and the maximum payload is 625 kg.
  • The vehicle is driven by a rows 4-cylinder petrol engine with a capacity of 1798 CC. With a double-tone camshaft (DoHC), 16 valves and a variable valve time control (VVT) it reaches 98 kW at 5600 rpm. The car is equipped with a manual 5-speed gear.
  • The maximum torque for the new Mobius II is 182 Nm in a speed range of 3600 to 4600 rpm.

The new Mobius II (2nd generation) is an improvement in the first Mobius II, with regard to a slimmer design, a more robust chassis structure as well as improved suspension and an optimized weight distribution. [8] Mobius Motors also introduces power steering, glass windows, lockable doors and an infotainment system in the new model. A harder framework structure also improve the ability to withstand strong loads from rough road surfaces. The new vehicle will be available in different colors and with a selection of additional options such as air conditioning, light metal rims or roof racks.

With the new Mobius II, customers are given the opportunity to choose equipment variants in a price range from KES 1.3 million to Kes 1.6 million. The buyers can choose between three equipment levels for the new Mobius II (Cargo, Adventure and Adventure Plus), the latter also contain GPS navigation, Wi-Fi connectivity and Bluetooth. [14] This diversification enables Mobius Motors to reach a wider audience than the first generation model. [15]

Perhaps the most remarkable improvement in the design of the new Mobius II (2nd generation) is the development of an expandable ladder framework. This enables the use of the vehicle for public transport, medical transport (ambulance) and also for deliveries of goods. [13]

Concept cars [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

Mobius Motor has announced the expansion of the use of the vehicles based on the expandable conductor frame. This is particularly suitable for the delivery of products and products, for local passenger transport and as mobile medical outpatient clinic [4] . The next generation of Mobius II will be Mobius Motors’ first vehicle with this expansion property. In addition, the company also intends to offer hybrid and electric drives in the future.

Mobius Motors plans the expansion of distribution activities by opening further Sales & Service centers in Mombasa in 2019 and also in the west of Kenya in Kisumu. In the East African region, the company focuses on the markets in Uganda and Tanzania. Other market areas in Africa primarily aim at the West African region in particular Nigeria.

The planned production [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

After receiving financial resources from United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Opic), Mobius Motors announced the plans of its own production facility [ten] . The system will be the first of this kind in Kenya, since other vehicle manufacturers only focus on commercial vehicles or the slight assembly of components. The company promises greater control over time sequences, production processes and the entire production framework from the new factory. Mobius Motors thus avoids historical challenges that were associated with delays in vehicle production. In addition, the company is investing in an expanded research and development area to accelerate future product developments and the general development process [3] .

International media houses such as Forbes, Venture Beat, Fast Company, Wired and Reuters have emphasized the efforts that Joel Jackson develops a vehicle for the often overlooked African market and uses local talents and promotes them. In 2017, the Stanford Business School wrote a case study on Mobius Motors and outlined the commitment to produce an African car that is affordable and durable for local needs and road conditions.

  1. ↑ Gina Jorasch, Michael Kennedy, Josper Sorensen: Mobius Motors: Building an African Car. In: Stanford Business School. 2012.
  2. ↑ a b Michael Coren: The new stripped-down SUV that will change transportation in Africa. Fast Company, 2011.
  3. ↑ a b c James Kariuki: US tycoon invests in assembly of Africa’s cheapest car in Thika. Business Daily, 11. Mai 2014.
  4. ↑ a b c Jonathan Ramsey: Mobius Motors back-to-basics SUV almost ready for Africa Autoblog. 2014.
  5. ↑ a b c Matthew Jarcer: Mobius Motors. Africa’s own car company In: Automobile Magazine. 2014, accessed June 26, 2018.
  6. ↑ Jane Wakefield: TEDGlobal: The low-tech $6,000 car made for Africa. In: BBC News. 2012, accessed June 26, 2018.
  7. ↑ Overview. In: Mobius Motors. 2018.
  8. ↑ a b c CNN: Kenyan car manufacturer set to launch SUV for African market. In: Citizen Digital. 2018.
  9. ↑ a b Mobius Motors secures Sh500M from US govt to set up new factory. In: The Kenyan Wall Street. 2018.
  10. ↑ a b Moses Kemibaro: Kenya’s Mobius Motors To Launch Mobius II Model In 2017. In: Moses Kemibaro blog. 2016.
  11. ↑ a b SIMON CIORIES: Thika assembler starts building Africa’s cheapest car. In: Business Daily. two thousand and thirteen.
  12. ↑ a b Stellar in the house: Kenya’s Mobius car sells out new generation model. In: Business Daily. 2017.
  13. ↑ a b c d It is f SIMON CIORIES: Low cost Kenya made car on sale at Sh950,000. October 23, 2014. (English, accessed on July 23, 2016)
  14. ↑ a b c d It is Garrett McCullum: Independent thinkers: Mobius Motors and the other transportation revolution. In: VentureBeat. 2011.
  15. ↑ a b James Kariuki: US tycoon invests in assembly of Africa’s cheapest car in Thika. May 11, 2014. (English, accessed on July 23, 2016)
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