KEY POINTS

• Coscharis Group delivered 20 electric buses to Abia State as the first batch of a broader rollout, with a second batch already in production in China
• Each bus seats up to 40 passengers, covers 300 to 450 kilometers on a single charge and features surveillance cameras, air conditioning and disability access
• Maduka plans to shift production to Coscharis’s Awoyaya plant in Lagos and pair the bus rollout with a $4 billion renewable energy project announced in 2024

Cosmas Maduka, founder and president of Coscharis Group, is deepening his partnership with Chinese bus manufacturer Asia Star following the delivery of 20 Coscharis electric buses to the Abia State government, the first batch of a broader rollout targeting public transport in southeastern Nigeria.

During a recent visit to Coscharis Motors facilities in Lagos, a senior Asia Star delegation inspected showrooms, aftersales workshops and the company’s assembly plant. Will Shi, business manager for Africa and the Pacific region at Asia Star, led the team. Shi said Coscharis had the infrastructure to complement Asia Star’s manufacturing pedigree, citing the scale of investment he observed at the Lagos plant.

Second batch of Coscharis electric buses in production in China

Meanwhile, Chukwu Opara, team lead for electric vehicle operations at Coscharis Motors, said the company is tracking real-world performance data from the Abia State buses. A second batch of 20 Coscharis electric buses is already in production in China, with additional orders also in the pipeline.

Each bus seats up to 40 passengers, covers 300 to 450 kilometers on a single charge and features surveillance cameras, air conditioning and accessibility features for passengers with disabilities. Additionally, Coscharis Technologies, the group’s technology arm, is building solar-powered charging stations to run the fleet off-grid, reducing dependence on Nigeria’s strained public electricity supply.

Maduka plans local assembly as part of broader industrial strategy

Beyond the Abia deployment, Maduka intends to shift production of electric buses and a Coscharis-branded pickup to the group’s Awoyaya plant in Lagos, moving from semi-knocked-down to complete-knocked-down assembly as fleet volumes grow.

The strategy complements a $4 billion renewable energy project that Coscharis Technologies announced in 2024, focused on solar infrastructure and green power. While Coscharis built its reputation on imported luxury brands such as BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Renault, the electric bus line marks a pivot from premium retail into public infrastructure.