Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete has initiated a move to convert the grounded vehicles of the state-owned transport corporation (Kwara Express) to electrical vehicles.
The KWASU ‘s technical team, led by the acting vice chancellor, Prof. Shaykh Luqman Jimoh, announced the plan to convert the vehicles to electric ones during a visit to the premises of the transport corporation in Ilorin, the state capital.
The vice chancellor said his institution possesses the technical know-how to do the conversion seamlessly, adding that one of the vehicles that conveyed his team to Kwara Express is another electric vehicle just converted by the centre.
The chief executive officer of Kwara Harmony Holdings, owners of Kwara Express, Mrs Mojirola Afolayan expressed delight over the development and commended the state governor, AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq for coming to their aid through KWASU.
She said the conversion of the vehicles to electric ones would serve as a tremendous relief for the corporation.
The acting general manager of Kwara Express, Engr. Yusuf Abubakar, who conducted the team around the premises, described the governor’s decision as a good step in the right direction.
The director of KWASU Centre for Sustainable Energy, Dr Adesina Lambe assured that the job will be done as soon as all necessary arrangements are completed between the government and the institution.
The head of the technical unit of the centre, Engr Azeez Akande disclosed that electric vehicles don’t need fuel, are very easy to maintain and save unnecessary costs unlike gasoline vehicles that have a lot of components.
He explained that an electric vehicle can be fully charged in under two hours and it can cover 150 kilometers distance and above on a single charge, pointing out that it doesn’t need to be fully charged before putting it on the road.
He added that electric vehicles can be charged by electricity, generating sets or solar power.
