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UGANDA’s MAKERERE University Students Successfully Road Tests First Own Made ELECTRIC CAR
“The car is ready,” exclaimed Mr Paul Isaac Musasizi, the Project Manager of the Vehicle Design Mission at Makerere University, which has produced Uganda’s first electric car.
Kiira EV on road test in Makerere University campus yesterday 11/1 as students cheer the new innovation.
The Kiira EV was yesterday 11/1 tested for road and drive performance, ability to climb steep areas and ability to pick up speed, among other parameters. “The vehicle can pick speed very fast, the motor stands strong, the reverse is perfect, it properly climbed a 55 degrees incline, the performance is good,” Mr Musasizi said after driving the vehicle for 4km reaching a top speed of 65km/hr. More adjustments, however, still need to be done when the car is gaining speed as it tends to jerk. More power also needs to be added to the steering wheel and a horn installed for the vehicle to be fit. The making of Kiira EV started in August 2009 with a handful of students at the College of Engineering Art and Design, formerly the Faculty of Technology. “It was not easy; all we had was faith and no money but luckily in December 2010, President Museveni gave us a grant and we immediately started the work. Getting people onto the project was not easy either,” said Mr Musasizi. They eventually had a team of 25.
In Student's campus Workshop at Makerere University
Bureaucracy to buy certain parts of the vehicle was another challenge the students faced and it delayed the making of the vehicle. Support call The success of the car draws a lot of lessons both for the University and country, according to principal investigator of the Project, Prof. Sandy Tickodri-Togboa. “Because the entire staff of a faculty is not often involved in such projects, it would help if all academicians got involved. This will improve methods of training at the University so that we are able to produce high caliber graduates,” he said. Kiira EV is a two-seater electric vehicle. Its battery system consists of lithium-ion batteries, its maximum speed is 200km/hr and needs a recharge after running 80km. Although some components of the car like the steering wheel and other minor accessories were imported from manufacturers outside Uganda, most parts of the car including the core body and combustion system were designed and built locally.
Makerere Campus Monks Loking On..
A thrilled Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba said: “A breed of youngsters with a nerve for technological inventions and innovations has been assembled.” As the world targets reducing carbon emissions students and faculty at Makerere University are keen to show they are up to speed.
Posted by
Moscow(OP)
November 3, 2011 at 9:14 am
unza guys believe in theories and demos.
wanzelu
November 3, 2011 at 9:35 am
Here at YUNZA we offer Monks and Strip dances,as you are aware,we not funded hence our structure is more suited to offer social services like protests against the Govt of the day and we offer services like rent a crowd for political parties.However,congrat to Makerere
messenger
November 3, 2011 at 9:45 am
I spent five years at UNZA/ BENG. I have nine years field experience here in Cape Town. Gentlemen when i compare our standard of education to others like here our so called UNZA is not even worthy to be called a University.
Tongabemba
November 3, 2011 at 9:48 am
Ba UNZA mumfweko nensoni. Imwe lyonse ni DEMOSTRATION when your friends are busy thinking. These makerere students wired u during the ZAIN competuition!
Well done Makerere,lets show these white fools like cameron that we can do it. We can’t survive on their Pound!
Smart g
November 3, 2011 at 10:07 am
I wish u guys had a chanc to go at cbu.we think about mch mo proj than the makerere one but funding has alwys being de problem.dont jst rush into negativ conclusiv points without physicaly visitin or tokin to students themselves.
Smart g
November 3, 2011 at 10:09 am
I wish u guys had a chanc to go at cbu.we think about mch mo proj than the makerere one but funding has alwys being de problem.dont jst rush into negativ conclusiv points without physicaly visitin or tokin to students themselves especially self sponsored students.painful
Smart g
November 3, 2011 at 10:10 am
I wish u guys had a chanc to go at cbu.we think about mch mo proj than the makerere one but funding has alwys being de problem.dont jst rush into negativ conclusiv points without physicaly visitin or tokin to students themselves especially self sponsored students.its painful
CBU moma
November 3, 2011 at 11:17 am
Muletekanya. CBU ifinshi? Do you know the conditions under which we study here?
Creativity is not rewarded here. If you want to pass just stick with ‘Theories of Dead Men.’ At CBU geniuses drop out. The pressure is stifling!
The whole education system needs a complete overhaul!
Wezzy
November 3, 2011 at 11:35 am
CBU na UNZA muli kwi? lol this is a good step for Africa as a whole! Lets get encouraged
think zero
November 3, 2011 at 1:00 pm
don’t just viva for more B.C ba UNZA and CBU yo friends are exhibiting serious innovations meaning tax payer are given reassurance that their money is to good use. put is on the map also twapapata.
THE SAINT
November 3, 2011 at 1:33 pm
That is what happens when students spend time learning and not striking or making political statements.
Shikulu Monica Kanunsha
November 3, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Thats good development, guys keep it up!
Oscar
November 3, 2011 at 3:50 pm
NOW THAT’S NEWS. Iam sure my friends have considered adding allowable NOISE especially to pedestrians, that’s one way of reducing avoidable accidents.
Emmasnuel Silwamba
November 3, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Let us give credit where it is due,,congrats,,
Barotse Patriot
November 3, 2011 at 6:35 pm
This is the truth whichever way we choose to look at it, and i do well know that truth has a piercing sensation to the ear, so am ready for any stick. Zambia has continued to churn out half-baked or sub-standard graduates period. The excuse of not having enough funding may not really hold anymore. The other hype we get of Zambian doctors or graduates performing well, no actually the word doing the rounds is ‘Wonders’ in their tour of duty outside the country as expatriates. After the checks i have done, am afraid this is more myth than anything. It pretty much exists only as a mere figment of the imagination of whoever chooses to utter such unfounded balderdash. The cornerstone of any emerging nation which wants to feed off its educational system or its production of intellectual elites ultimately needs to have a strong research oriented approach to development. This country’s research structures are pretty much non-existent. What? Mount Makulu Research station or the clique at NCSR(National Council for Scientific Research) busy looking into maize and cassava varieties! Ooh please move over!
P.S To Brother John Bravo above this, ‘thats wat happens if u have good education infrastructure and equipments.’ Does seem like an excuse from a former graduate student trying hard to justify why they can never emulate their Ugandan counterparts in making technological milestones such as Kiira EV.
And finally on a rather small matter Ku Bo John Bravo above, kindly know that the word equipment is never pluralised as equipments anywhere in the world, am only saying do not lynch me dah!!
only God knows
November 4, 2011 at 8:41 am
unza ,cbu guyz we can not blame u we all know that as one we can do it.
MANN N/West
November 4, 2011 at 1:58 pm
This encourages me so much, guys it is not easy to be cultivated in subsaharan africa and become an automotive engineer, a designer for that matter! We simply have to give them ‘A HAND’. These guys’ve laid a milestone and thanx givin to there G.R.U. In Chimwemwe somebody used his moneys and initiative to manufacture juices illegally using sombody else’s trade mark,instead of government to recognise and finacially back him and his intellect wife after serving charges, they were left in disdain, frozen so. What more sponsoring big projects.My self here in Lumwana just put up and tested on my vehicle a security system if tempered with, my cell phone rings, where ever i may be. The simplest i did only costed me about 150pin.Thanx giving to CBU freshers for exciting me with this. I do customise vehicle electrics.
MANN
November 4, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Ba ELECTRIC GOAT -03/11/11,08:21., intellects in this field will never criticise that way more especially to a journalist, but correct with courtesy.There are vehicles considered electrical whereby final drive system use electric(traction) motors with a generator driven by fuel engine and then the above one whose motors are directly driven by d.c. batteries like electric wheel chairs.The earlier is quite complex to make but very economical to utilise,sometimes better than our usual vehicles. TUMFWEKO NO PROVISION FOR REPLIES TO COMMENTS,Thanx!
[email protected]
November 8, 2011 at 8:28 am
Congrats guys,job well done,you are motivating us,people under Electrical Technology..Thanx for opening up our minds.We need to read more learn more and change the globe.
Kasambwe Mpulamasaka
November 14, 2011 at 10:48 am
Zambians too much drinking,ask us to invent a mobile electric night club.It will be completed before the weekend.
Kasambwe Mpulamasaka
November 14, 2011 at 11:21 am
Unza students too much drinking,ask them to invent a mobile electric night club.It will be completed before the weekend,LOL
eanov
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January 24, 2012 at 8:59 pm
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muchindu chimuka
January 30, 2012 at 10:55 am
Congrats guys am happy for U! The problem is that we need funding for innovation purposes. take a look at rotting projects on paper like at levels like J.E.T.S. Take a look at the dilapidated state of infrastructure at UNZA and CBU. We need to improve and implement what is in da innovation policy. there shud be a correlation between policy and funding.