14 DAY TRIAL // The Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, California-based Green Automotive Company and the Royal College of Art in London have recently entered a partnership and will work together on developing an all-electric safari vehicle.
The Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya is one of the largest wildlife reserves in the world, and the people in charge of administering it say that they are always looking for ways to better protect the wildlife that inhabits this 90,000-acre patch of land.
For the time being, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy receives some 80,000 visitors on a yearly basis. The trouble is that, every time a safari is organized in this wildlife reserve, animals are disturbed by the noise made by old diesel engines.
Besides, there is little denying that the run-off-the-mill cars carrying tourists across the Ol Pejeta Conservancy also cause quite a lot of pollution, simply because they run on dirty fuels.
“We live with the constant struggle to balance the wilderness wildlife with tourists’ requirements. Vehicles are vital for going around but are polluting, noisy and intrusive. It is time for change,” says the Chief Commercial Officer of Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Robert Breare, as cited by Hybrid Cars.
“Why not create vehicles that intrude less on the wildlife, allowing you to get closer with minimal impact and with zero emissions? A silent safari vehicle that makes you feel as if you are outside on foot, face to face with a lion or an elephant,” he adds.
Robert Breare and his colleagues expect that, by teaming up with the Green Automotive Company and the Royal College of Art in London, they will manage to solve this issue by rolling out an all-electric safari vehicle whose presence in the wildlife reserve will not disturb the animals in any way.
Information shared with the public says that the Green Automotive Company is to be in charge of the development of the electric drive train and integration with the car's body structure. Overall project management will also be its responsibility.
The Royal College of Art, on the other hand, will be entrusted with coming up with ideas concerning the design and the styling of the vehicle. As envisioned by the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the car will be fitted with a cabin in which tourists will be kept safe and which will allow them to enjoy an all-round line of sight.
The wildlife reserve, the Royal College of Art and the Green Automotive Company need $50,000 (€35,916) to be able to jump start this project. Hoping to obtain this money, they have launched a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo that will run until May 10 and are now asking that folks who keep wildlife close at heart support this initiative.
Check out the video below to learn more about this project and head over to Indiegogo if you feel like lending The Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, California-based Green Automotive Company and the Royal College of Art in London a helping hand.