The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, also called the Ivory Coast, has officially launched a new vehicle after years in 2021. Labeled “Made in Cote d'Ivoire," a new minibus is launched named the "Daily Ivoire ."This is the first time the automobiles produced here will be stamped by their country name and not someone else's.
This bus has a seating capacity of 18 to 26 people and is ready to take over the roads of the Ivory Coast.
The manufacturing and assembling of the complete vehicle will be done here while also creating 500 job opportunities for the locals residing in the Ivory Coast. From the upper management staff to the most trained vehicle manufacturers, all will be hired locally. The plant has a production capacity of 1000 vehicles, with a seating arrangement so that the bus could be used as an ambulance, a dump truck, or even a refrigerated truck, too, at times.
With the inauguration of this new hub manufacturing plant and the mini busses, the government has plans to modernize the entire transportation sector by increasing the use of self-made automobiles. Amadou Koné, the minister of transport in Ivory Coast, says that we need to make the world believe in our expertise in automobile manufacturing again. He ensures that the transport we manufacture is per the standards of the modern industrialized economy. We are not just trying to build ourselves a vehicle and some temporary jobs in the sector but also want to leave a mark in the economy, stating that our economy is back to stability.
This minibus was designed with the collaboration of SOTRA Industries, and its technical modifications are credited to Iveco. Its marketing is limited to West and Central Africa for now; however, it will soon be distributed all over Africa with the help of the distribution networks created by Iveco.
The initial manufacturing of the minibus started back in 2018. However, it took 3 years to complete the plant and to initiate the making and assembling of the vehicle in the Ivory Coast. Nevertheless, this new minibus has given a 57 percent exceptional boost to the sales in the transport sector, with pre-orders booked till 2024.
This manufacturing has also attracted other automobile makers to invest in the country, such as Toyota Tsusho, which has signed an agreement with Ivory Coast to manufacture and assemble the Toyota parts in Ivory. At the inauguration ceremony, the Prime minister of Ivory Coast, Mr. Patrick Achi, said it was finally time for our vehicles to be stamped with our country’s name. He says that this plant will help make the world aware of the hard work and labor put into this sector for over a decade.
