JET Mover becomes Africa’s first customised minibus to test the road. Here is the vision behind the product

Nigerian automaker, JET Motor Company, Thursday said it was consolidating on its plans to dominate the mobility space with the launch of JET Mover, a new line of minibus, into the automobile market. The product, which is currently receiving rave reviewers, has been described as a luxury, durable, yet affordable minibus built specifically for African roads.

Rupani Sanjay, the company’s Director of Sales and Marketing told Ripples Nigeria that the new minibus was a product of intensive research, spanning years of collaborative efforts between some of the best brains in the automotive industry across Europe, Asia and Africa.

“The JET Mover is a combination of the best design and technology practices from Europe and Asia, tropicalised for Africa,” Sanjay said.

Shy of revealing closely guarded trade secrets, he spoke of the deliberate attempt to build a brand that could withstand Africa’s unpredictable terrains and weather.

Sanjay would go on to speak gleefully of the enduring dreams, saying:

“An Africa-in-mind automobile was our vision at the on set and building the new minibus in that fashion was a fulfilling task that gave birth to the now-on-the-road JET Mover bus.

“The shock absorbers systems are stronger than average, ground clearance is higher, tyre sizes are bigger. Generally, our testing has led us to see what is best for the Nigerian and African market and that is what we have built with JET Mover.”

The strong underlying belief in Africa is one that has received tremendous attention from industry and market watchers who think that the entry of the JET Mover would radically disrupt and redefine the competitive space.

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a new world economic order, Sanjay is convinced his company’s feat would scale, and has the potential to remake the world through an African eye, a sharp contrast to past automobile realities.

“We wanted to create a global product that is built to last. We were obsessed with getting it right because, if our vehicles can work well on Nigerian and African roads, they can succeed anywhere in the world,” he emphasised.

Asked about the company’s progress report, with respect to visibility and market penetration, Sanjay disclosed that the company had since its launch struck a deal with Nigeria’s leading, tech-first mobility company, GIGM.

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“Our quality and durability impressively won the heart of the mobility company, leading to the Management Board committing itself to be supplied 2000 units of the JET Mover for the next 3 years,” he noted.

He added that some state governments in Nigeria namely, Lagos, Edo and Delta had also shown interest as they initiate plans to replace their old fleets with the JET Mover.

The major attraction for this new set of customers seems to be the luxury, versatility, durability and first-class comfort offered by this new generation brand.

What you will find in the market and show rooms, as the premium passenger version of the JET Mover, is a 13-seater with leather seats and personalised entertainment system for each passenger. Added to this are charging port facilities and good-to-relax seats.

With such a unique offering that can be customised to serve as a cargo bus, medical emergencies ambulance, school bus or military shuttle, a lot is being said about its cost with speculations it would cost a lot of fortune.

Oluwemimo Joseph, Strategy and Projects Head, was quick to dismiss the fears, noting that the company isn’t gunning for profit just yet. According to him, the task that is more pressing for the company was to ensure it delivers on its terms to maintain the position of a truly Nigerian brand.

“For now, we are not as focused on profitability as we are on becoming the first truly Nigerian brand delivering on quality and affordability. The JET Mover currently offers more value for money than the closest competition.

“The company is currently struggling to meet up demands as a long list of requests from private customers and governmental bodies are awaiting supply,” he stated.

With such rapid growth in a short-while, the company has proposed to expand into an over 2-acre assembly plant in Lagos, where the new assembly plant is expected to serve the manufacturing capacity of 5000 vehicles annually.

If and when this happens, then the Nigeria automotive space is bound to witness a fresh energy that would ultimately rekindle competition and deliver best value to a market yearning hungrily for a truly durable and affordable African brand.

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