My Beef with Kiira EV, Uganda’s first electric car

So, Uganda have their own, an electric car launched, the first in Eastern Africa (I guess) and a success for most people.

A round of applause and a standing ovation for them. Honestly, that is good, a pace setter for us all.

But for once let me be the No-Man here and say what no one is saying, or what they are saying but behind closed doors and in whispers. I think more could have been done here and Kiira EV, as much as it looks a success, isnt all that!

Electric;

that was the major crack on the whole thing. In a country where power is rationed for more that 3 hours, 3 times a week, an electric car is just not a good story to many people's ears. There isn't enough electricity to power many of the current requirements, tell me where the 3-4 hours charging per vehicle after every 80 km will come from.

Journey/Distance;

Fine, there are limitations here, and its true that even the so far invented vehicles travel around that far. Really? I tell you what, am not an expert in this field but some 2nd generation electric cars produced between 99 and 2003 travelled 80 to 100 miles. 
This is 2011 and the excuse of No-resources does not defend anything where the few resources we have(read electricity) are being made even more scarce!

No-Nothing;

yes, you read it right. This vehicle had generally nothing in the interior. There was no speedometer, no internal sensor system, no horn, no bla, no bla, no NOTHING! (OK. there was the driver's seat and the steering wheel, but my bicycle has that too.)
Tell me, how do you drive such a car? How do you even know the car has travelled the 80kms you programmed it to? How do you tell the battery is or has run down?
I mean for the money they put in(The prototype cost the college $35,000) we all expected something more.

Money/cost;

$35000 for just that? Just take a look at Google results for Cars under $35000 and... I need not say much about this. It's too much already and I will just leave it at that!

A mungich commented on Monitor Online 
"Only in Africa do we want to reinvent the wheel when we should be investing in realistic ventures that will have a positive effect on citizen's quality...."
and I agree. Let them give us something else.

Truth be told, I wouldn't be bitching if they had invented steam propelled vehicle with full features and just keep away from electricity because to me, In Africa, Electric-anything is just not the way to go yet.

(Someone may want to prove me wrong or criticize my steam powered point. But I am just putting a point across)
 
#IsaidIt