Solar Electric Car Attracts More Visitors

Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

29 June 2011

THE Vocational Education and Training Authority’s (VETA) pavilion was a centre of attraction on Wednesday as curious visitors to the 35th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) inquired about the first ever solar powered electric car in Tanzania.

“This car is the first in Tanzania and the second in the African continent,” the innovator of the technology, Mr Emmanuel Bukuku told inquisitive visitors, noting that the first solar powered vehicle in Africa was made in South Africa.

Mr Bukuku described the vehicle as cost effective and environmentally friendly because of having non-air pollution and non-sound pollution systems.

The innovator invited members of the public to take their vehicles to the authority to change their power systems to enable them run on solar power, “With this technology we can change the system of your vehicles to operate on solar power.”

He said the technology is applicable in most parts of the country with sufficient sunshine. “The car has the capacity of preserving power to enable it runs for five hours…it can be used almost in all parts of Tanzania because the country has enough sunshine.”

The vividly moved visitors praised the innovator for the good job and expressed interest of using the technology. But, officials at VETA pavilion could not provide the price of having the technology, which they described as new and affordable.

Mr Bukuku pleaded the government to support local innovators and disseminate their innovations to benefit the majority of people. “This is a classic technology but it might end up on display here due to lack of government support…we do not value our local technologies,” complained the innovator.

The new technology if propagated for massive use in the country will help the country save billions of US dollars spent on the importation of oil for motor vehicles and other machineries.

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