Mobius to ramp up production with new model in Kenya

Mobius Motors, which pioneered production of a stripped down car model for African roads, the Mobius, plans to boost production next year with its new Mobius II, it said on Tuesday. Automakers such as Volkswagen AG are looking to tap into emerging African markets. The German carmaker said in September it would resume production in Kenya and the first car is expected to roll off the assembly later this month.

Mobius Motors has a strategy of making low-priced, rugged cars for rough roads and the rural terrain which is found across much of Africa. The original Mobius, manufactured in 2014, had no flashy dials, alloy wheels or electric windows, and sold for Sh950,000 before taxes.

The company said it had fully sold out the first generation Mobius II, designed and manufactured in Kenya, early this year. “The next-generation Mobius II model will be manufactured at higher volumes,” Mobius Motors said in a statement, without offering specifics. The firm was founded by British entrepreneur Joel Jackson, who saw a niche for the Mobius while working in rural Kenya in 2009.