Urban traffic is increasingly complicated, especially for those who need to travel daily for work reasons. Transporters are one of the groups most affected by traffic jams in city centers, which is why efficient and so-called “last mile” mobility solutions are being developed for the transportation of goods.
For this purpose, or for those who want to move in an original and sustainable vehicle, the Bako B1 is born: a small car inspired by the popular tuk-tuk, but with electric propulsion, which is powered by solar energy thanks to the installed panels. on the roof of its body.
In order to improve the quality of life in cities and for drivers, the young start-up Bako Motors has designed this original three-wheeled electric vehicle that guarantees fast and agile movements, while being safe and emission-free. In addition, it is capable of transporting up to 300 kg of cargo.
Aimed primarily at last-mile delivery fleets, the most groundbreaking thing about the Bako B1 is that it uses solar energy as an extra energy source to extend the autonomy of its lithium battery, responsible for powering a 3,000 W motor. It develops 95 Nm of torque and allows the vehicle to achieve a maximum speed of up to 45 km/h.
This electric proposal is available in two versions, B10 and B15, whose main differences are the capacities of their batteries and the autonomy they offer per charge. The first has a range of approximately 100 km, while the second reaches approximately 150 km. It has not been specified, for now, how much extra autonomy the use of solar energy can add.
The B1 measures 3.46 m long, 1.76 m wide and 1.85 cm high and has an interior cargo box volume of 2,433 liters. With a basic dashboard, the driver’s cabin can accommodate two people. This can be equipped with doors or left open in countries where the weather and approvals allow it. The tailgate can also be equipped with full or half-opening doors.
It also includes optional technologies that are more common in conventional four-wheeled cars, such as air conditioning, infotainment system, GPS and reversing camera.
Of Tunisian origin, Bako Motors has investment from countries on our continent such as Germany, France and Luxembourg, states that have already shown interest in this vehicle to reduce pollution rates in their cities. It will be classified as an L2 three-wheeled vehicle throughout the European Union.
The start-up previously made headlines at the 2021 edition of the IAA Mobility Show in Munich, where it presented the prototype version of this solar electric tricycle, named Sunny and which was the precursor to the B1 production model. The vehicle has an initial cost of 3,800 euros. In the presentation video that accompanies this article you can see the Bako model in full action.