In developing countries such as Africa, roads are expensive to upkeep and the costs are then passed on to the general population. It is said that those costs will cause consumers to pay 75% more for their daily goods in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is why getting around in the more rural parts of Africa would require a vehicle that is able to withstand the rugged terrain.
As it stands, the majority of vehicles in Africa tend to fall into two extreme categories. One is the extremely expensive and luxurious SUV, and the other cheaper alternative is a car that will have difficulties traversing the rugged terrains, and it seems that neither vehicle makes it out of the cities and into the hinterlands often enough, and this is where Kenya-based Mobius Motors comes in.
The Mobius One is a bare-bones SUV which the company claims is not only more affordable for rural Africans, but it is also safe and rugged. Essentially the Mobius One is a Land Rover that has been stripped of its luxuries, including air conditioning, power steering, ABS, and even glass windows. Instead the company focused on the springs, shocks and wheels, and items such as engines, brakes, and the steering are built around a tubular steel frame which further reduces the cost and maintenance required.
Not just for Africans in rural areas, the company also built the Mobius One with entrepreneurs in mind, who may want to get out into rural Africa to explore new business ventures, such as bringing around a mobile school, mobile medical center, or it could even double up as a form of public transport.
No word on when the company is planning on releasing the vehicle, but estimated costs have put the price of the Mobius One at $10,000 and it will reportedly come in the popular colors of East Africa – white, silver, black, blue, red, and green.