Nigeria’s indigenous vehicle manufacturer and pioneer of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles maker, Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing Company, has built a new multi-billion naira facility to begin making various buses and heavy-duty trucks with engines running on CNG.
The plant can produce about N30,000 vehicles yearly and is expected to be commissioned soon.
Innocent Chukwuma, the chairman of Innoson Group, said in a statement that the company is working with the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and plans to build a plant that will produce tractors and other farm equipment.
Reports say the statement was a response to an appeal by a group of farmers to the Innoson chairman to produce tractors and related farm equipment to enhance mechanized farming and boost the economy.
According to the company, its lineup has been expanded to include medium, city, and inter-city sports utility vehicles, family vehicles, purpose-built 4×4 pick-ups, military vehicles, and specialised vehicles such as ambulances and trucks.
The firm said that some of these vehicles have been exported to Sierra Leone, Niger, Congo, Ghana, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
Last year, when the subsidy was removed, Innoson announced its latest innovation, the Innoson LNG/CNG gas trucks, buses, and cars, at its factory in Nnewi, Anambra state.
The liquified natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) enabled vehicles were launched on Tuesday, April 20, 2023, by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) president Otunba Francis Meshioye.
Innoson Motors’ head of corporate communications, Cornel Osigwe, said the unique feature of the Innoson gas-powered brands is their ability to use CNG, which is more affordable than diesel or petrol.
Also, the company released newly mass-produced compressed natural gas buses.
Innoson unveiled the vehicles at its factory in Nnewi, Anambra State.
The company disclosed on its Facebook page that the vehicles range from trucks to minibusses, ambulances, and long buses. Innocent Chukwuma, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, said the vehicles are safe and meant for Nigerian roads. He also assured Nigerians of their availability.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that a Nigerian company, Okafor Motors, announced plans to mass produce solar-powered tricycles, also known as “keke”.
To achieve this, the company said it entered a partnership with Sustainable Communities Corporation (SSC), a US-based non-profit organisation.
The partnership is to set up NrG Company (pronounced energy) and produce several units of solar-powered tricycles.
Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at TimesNow.com.ng
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
