Mobius Motors — BrandWiki

Mobius Motors

Overview

Mobius Motors

type	Privately held company
foundation	2010
founder	Joel Jackson
location city	Nairobi
location country	Kenya
area served	East Africa Africa
industry	Automotive industry
key people	Joel Jackson (Founder and CEO)
products	Automobiles

Mobius Motors Kenya Limited was a vehicle re-assembler founded in 2010. The company was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 2010 and registered in Kenya in 2011. As of 2018, the company was in the process of building an in country manufacturing plant. On 5 August 2024, the shareholders' meeting that convened in Nairobi, Kenya resolved to liquidate the company and selected SVSK Sastry as the liquidator.[1]

The company manufactured SUVs (sport utility vehicles) designed to handle the rough roads and rugged terrain found in many parts of regional Africa.[2]

Name

The name comes from the Mobius strip, a special mathematical surface with a single surface and single boundary, first described by German mathematician August Ferdinand Möbius in 1858.

Key people

Joel Jackson is the founder and CEO of Mobius Motors. Prior to founding Mobius, Jackson worked on business strategy with an acclaimed micro-forestry social enterprise in rural Kenya. He also worked as a management consultant, advising top

History

2009–2011

On a visit to Kenya, Joel Jackson recognized the need for a rugged, affordable vehicle to improve transportation around the country, especially in rural areas. He formed a small team that spent ten months in research and development to produce the Mobius I, Mobius Motors’ first prototype.[4] The Mobius I provided valuable learning, shaping Jackson's approach to simplified design and smart use of off-the-shelf components to keep development costs low.

Initially, the company operated out of a small shed in Kilifi on the Kenyan coast. The company moved first to Mombasa and then to Nairobi where the company headquarters and showroom are located at Sameer Business Park off Mombasa Road.[5] Before acquiring external funding in 2012, Joel Jackson bootstrapped the company's operations.

2011–2016

The first round of funding enabled the Mobius Motors to start the design and development of its second prototype and what would eventually become its first production model. The improved model was named Mobius II and featured better design and engineering than its predecessor.[6]

In 2014, the first production of Mobius II hit the market to a warm reception, despite concerns regarding the company's pushing back of release dates.[7] The Mobius II employed minimalistic design, sticking to basic functionality and lacking such basic functionalities of modern cars as power steering, door handles, GPS navigation, and glass windows.[6]

Even then, the 50 vehicles produced by Mobius Motors in partnership with the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers had sold out by June 2016.[8][9]

2016–present

After the initial production of the first 50 the Mobius II vehicles, the company discontinued its production and started to develop the next vehicle. The new Mobius II is scheduled for release in 2019 with an increased production potential of several thousand vehicles per year.[10]

In early 2018, Mobius Motors closed its Series A equity financing and raised additional funding of Ksh 500 million from the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).[11] This investment allowed the company to set up a new factory in the industrial area of Nairobi near Mombasa Road. The new Mobius factory will be the only one in East Africa doing complete assembly of passenger vehicles with capabilities in fabrication, body shop, paint shop, general assembly, and final line testing.[5] The new Mobius II will be the first car to be produced at the new factory.

Full production will commence as soon as additional capital is raised.[12]

Production models

Mobius II (first generation)

After raising external financing, Mobius Motors started work on the next prototype for the first production model.[2] The Mobius II (first generation) featured more detailed engineering and design from a team of professional engineers. The cost for building this second prototype was Ksh 1.5 million, with the record development schedule of three months.[10]

In October 2014, Mobius Motors launched the production model Mobius II (first generation) at a retail price of about Ksh 1 million, a price that made it the most affordable new vehicle in Kenya.[13]

The Mobius II designation referred to the vehicle's body type, rather than as a sequential continuation from the Mobius I prototype [5]

Specs

While market reception was favorable and all 50 cars produced sold out by June 2016, the Mobius II was criticized by some for being too basic, particularly for use in more urban areas.[14] For example, the vehicle lacked air conditioning, power steering, and lockable doors, and it offered canvas windows rather than glass. The car featured a lock-box in which owners could safely store their personal items to avoid theft.[15]

Customers had no options for customization of any of the car's features, a limitation that was addressed with the second-generation Mobius II.[6]

The Mobius II body is 3.9 M long, 1.8 M wide, and 1.85 M high with 23 cm of ground clearance. It has a tare weight of 1265 kg and a loading capacity of 625 kg.
It is powered by a 4-cylinder, 1598 cc petrol engine with a capacity of 86 horsepower at 5500 rpms. The transmission is a 5-speed manual with a top speed of 120 km/h.
The maximum torque for the Mobius II is 128 Nm at 3000 rpms.
The 3-door Mobius II allowed eight passengers, 2 in front and 6 in the rear.

New Mobius II (second generation)

The new Mobius II was a huge improvement on the previous Mobius II model. It featured a sleeker design, a more rugged chassis structure, improved suspension, and better balancing.[5] Mobius Motors also introduced power steering, glass windows, lockable doors, and an infotainment system, features that were lacking in the first production model.[11] A tougher frame structure also improved the car's ability to withstand heavy stress from rough road driving. The new model will be available in different colors and with a selection of additional options such as air-conditioning (AC), alloy rims or roof rack. Specs[14]

The new Mobius II (second generation) features a wider and longer body of about 4.2 M in length, 1.9 M width, 1.8 M height, and a 2.4 M wheelbase. The car also features an improved ground clearance of 330 mm.

With the new Mobius II, customers will be given the opportunity to choose configurations ranging in price from Ksh 1.3 million to Ksh 1.6 million. Buyers will get to choose between three trim-levels for the new Mobius II (Cargo, Adventure, and Adventure Plus) with the latter featuring GPS navigation, Wi-Fi connectivity, and Bluetooth© among other features.[11]

Mobius 3

The Mobius 3, a rebadged Beijing BJ40 was launched in 2021.[16]