Building Kenya’s First Electric Rhino Charge Vehicle
Our boldest project
In 2025, Silent Savannah & Foleys East Africa paired up with the EV Explorers to build something no one had ever attempted before — the first fully electric vehicle to compete in the legendary Rhino Charge.
For those who know it, Rhino Charge is no ordinary race. It’s the toughest off-road challenge in Kenya, pushing vehicles through deep gullies, sharp rocks, steep climbs, and often mud. It’s also a cornerstone fundraiser for Rhino Ark’s conservation work.
We knew that if an EV could survive here, it could survive anywhere.
With Foleys East Africa we designed and built Car No. 29 from the ground up, using our own electric drivetrain and battery system adapted for extreme conditions.
Months of work was put into engineering, testing, and finally rolling out the vehicle in time for the 2025 competition.
This wasn’t just a technical project — it was a statement. A statement that electric power can take on Kenya’s harshest terrain while cutting emissions and showing a new path for conservation-driven mobility.
Building Car No. 29
Building Car No. 29
Powering the First
An electric Rhino Charge vehicle needs more than just a motor and batteries — it needs reliable, off-grid charging in the middle of nowhere.
That’s where our Silent Savannah solar charging station came in.
We deployed one of our containerised solar stations to power the vehicle throughout the event, as well as to provide clean energy for the entire camp. With 9–18 kW of solar panels and integrated battery storage, the station ran silently, without any diesel.
For us, this wasn’t just about running the car. It was about proving that our complete system — vehicle plus charging — works as a self-sufficient unit.
The same technology we’re bringing to safari camps across East Africa kept Car No. 29 charged and the camp lights on during Rhino Charge 2025.