The Golden Glitch

Bako to the Future: How the Scorching Mediterranean Sun Can Power Our Cars

Particularly in the wake of a global pandemic, the world continues to shift towards more sustainable forms of energy, and Boubaker Siala’s next-gen win commercial transportation could radically improve our efforts towards cleaner air and lessening carbon footprint.

The genius of Siala and his team at Bako Motors is the creation of a tricycle vehicle packing an electric battery that finds its power source through a solar panel affixed to it. Bako Motors’ seemingly obvious, but dead-on and innovative idea revolutionises the standard electric cars, making the best of the lots of sun, endless rays of power, in the context of climate change. 

This kinder, but more productive resolution came about while Siala, engineer and now founder of Bako Motors, was cycling uphill during the pandemic. As he trained, he recognised the challenge, but also opportunity, in creating something for common use, that could comfortably fit in most cities, hilly or otherwise. Considering the varied, sunny landscapes of the Mediterranean, this is certainly a plus.

Founded in 2021 by a team of automotive industry experts, the team at Bako Motors together assemble 70 years of experience. The Tunisian-German startup set out to design and produce the Bako B10: a vehicle that merges the big loading space of a utility van with the practical dimensions of a traditional three-wheeler.

The B10 is a digitally designed mode of transportation that is targeted at small business owners with small budgets as well as at businesses that require fleets of delivery vehicles for either catering, e-commerce or other logistics operations. Bako motors is making 70% of the B10 in Tunisia meaning that the North African startup is sharing the savings on custom taxes with its clientele in the region. 

North Africa’s narrow Medina streets and the almighty its almighty sun were clearly part of the design brief of the B10. The vehicle is a 3-wheel electric vehicle with a loading capacity of 2000L. It is powered by a 4000W motor and has a range of 200km plus 50km per day provided by the photovoltaic cell roof. As with any other vehicle, the B10 comes with extras including a practical rear-view camera and a GPS system that connects it to an app.

Bako Motors have big plans; although they have only been around for over a year; by March 2022, they already had 50 pre-orders. In June 2022, production on its first lot of B10 started at its factory in Tunisia, and by November 2022, they plan to expand its operations in Nigeria. By the end of this year, Bako also plans to unveil a passenger version of the 3-wheeler and a 4-wheeler passenger version by end of 2023.

The innovation here is undeniable – we’re looking at what could most likely be the dawn of a Golden era in transportation and commerce, which not only supports, but also helps circumvent the negative effects on the environment.

We’re already thinking of getting one in gold!

Ready to feature your design on the Golden Glitch?
Make it happen!

Related Articles