I recently came across a story about a Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) developed by The Institute for Affordable Transportation.   The organization’s mission is  “… to improve the lives of the world’s poor by providing simple, low-cost vehicles to facilitate community transformation.”  The BUV is a no frills but practical utility vehicle.  The institute has developed a whole turnkey type program that allows local entrepreneurs to become a local distributor or assembler of the vehicles. They typically will assemble, sell and service the vehicles.  Some parts are expected to be sourced locally and the vehicle can use 20 different engines without modification.  A starter kit for six vehicles can be shipped in one twenty foot shipping container.

BUV at work in Honduras

The first overseas BUV factory is in Honduras and five other groups are planning to launch in Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Haiti, Ethiopia and D.R. Congo.  Learn more:  www.drivebuv.org/