Kenyan startup Mobius Motors is ready to put its back-to-basics truck into production.
In the works for several years, the two-door truck was designed to bring durable, affordable transportation to rural areas of the African nation.
The company has now received funding from the Richard Parsons' Pan-African Investment Company to build the first 50 trucks.
The Mobius 2 is a body-on-frame SUV with seating for up to eight passengers. Its squared-off shape was developed to make repairs easy, while it does without air conditioning or side window glass to further keep costs down.
Weighing just 2,800 pounds, Mobius 2 gets by with an 86 hp four-cylinder engine, but has a cargo capacity of over 1,300 pounds. With over 10-inches of ground clearance and approach and departure angles similar to a Jeep Wrangler its ideal for Kenya’s network of dirt and poorly-maintained roads.
Two years ago the company was aiming for a $6,000 price tag, but that’s risen to $10,000. Nevertheless, the locally-made Mobius 2 costs about half of what typical pickup trucks go for in Kenya.
There are currently no plans to export the truck to North America, but Mobius hopes to eventually expand across the African continent.