Mobius Motors: Origins and History

Automotive Nicholas Kweyu 04/03/2025 0 Comments

Mobius Motors is the brainchild of British National Joel Jackson. It was incorporated in the UK in 2010 and registered in Kenya in 2011 “to build a vehicle in Africa, for Africa.”

Jackson had been in rural Kenya working with a non-profit in 2009 when he noted that poor road conditions hindered productivity. SUVs that could navigate such terrain were very expensive due to high taxes and import duties while smaller, more affordable cars were not rugged enough.

He envisioned a vehicle that was rugged, affordable for personal use and suitable for local entrepreneurs to run transportation services, improving delivery times.

The company started in a humble shed in Kilifi, in the Kenyan coastal region, before moving to Mombasa and finally setting up shop in Nairobi, where it has research and development and production facilities.

First Kenyan-Made Vehicle in Decades

Mobius locally manufactured vehicles in the Kenyan market for the first time in decades following the Nyayo Pioneer One launched by the Moi administration in the early 90s.

Going up against automotive giants in the second-hand market like Toyota and Nissan, Mobius is similar to Uganda’s Kiira Motors, Innoson Motors in Nigeria and Ghana’s Kantanka.

Mobius 1: Prototype

The first Mobius vehicle was a proof-of-concept prototype rather than a mass-production model. It was built by local mechanics and welders with off-the-shelf parts built around a tubular steel frame.

Image-1-Mobius-car-1-1 Mobius Motors: Origins and History

Mobius 1 prototype (Image source: Fastcompany.com)

The Mobius 1 was built in 10 months and was stripped of any luxury features. Jackson described it as “…looking like a Dune Buggy…”

The prototype was well received and helped to attract investors, enabling Mobius to begin working on a production model for the Market: the Mobius 2

Mobius 2: First Generation

This first-generation production model was launched in Kenya in 2014 with 50 units on sale at around Ksh 1 million (approximately $10,000 at the time).

According to Mobius, it was an “SUV with the durability required to handle rural roads, sold at the price of a used sedan.”

This pricing came due to cost-cutting measures employed on the vehicle.

It had:

No AC (Air Conditioning)
No Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
No power steering
Non-lockable doors (the bonnet was lockable and there was a lock box inside the vehicle to keep valuables).
No infotainment
Roll-down canvas windows instead of glass

It was a no-frills, rugged SUV made for the African terrain.

Despite lacking these features, the 50 production units were sold out by 2016 and Mobius began production of a second generation.

Mobius 2: Second Generation

The second generation Mobius 2 was launched in 2019 retailing at about Ksh 1.3 million (approx $12,900 at the time) with a sleeker design and addressing the missing luxuries from the first-gen model.

Image-3-Mobius-2-Second-gen-1024x768 Mobius Motors: Origins and History

Mobius 2 second gen spotted in Isiolo (Image source: https://x.com/GSaruni)

The newer model featured:

Glass windows
Power steering
Lockable doors,
A more powerful engine and improved suspension
An infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity and optional GPS
Options for a roof rack, AC and alloy rims.

Mobius 3

In 2021, Mobius began assembling Chinese company BAIC Motor Corporation’s BJ40 model under the Mobius brand as the Mobius 3. It retailed for about Ksh 3.9 million.

Mobius Motors’ latest Mobius 3 (Image source: https://x.com/MobiusMotors)

Investments

Mobius was set up with an approximate total investment of Ksh 5 billion.

It received funding from various sources:

The company’s design and engineering works have been supported by American billionaire, Ronald Lauder, who offered Mobius an undisclosed amount of convertible debt to assist in assembling the first 50 units in 2014.

The UK venture capital firm, Playfair Capital, was an early Mobius investor and in 2020, raised Ksh 3 billion to invest in promising tech start-ups.

In 2018, Mobius Motors received a US $5 million loan from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (The US government’s development finance institution) to build a new factory.

This loan was housed within a greater US $1.1 billion financing received from investors like PanAfrican Investment Co.

Leadership Change

Nicolas Guibert was appointed as CEO of Mobius Motors in 2021 after having served as COO since 2019. Joel Jackson remained as the company’s founder and chairman of the board.

Financial Trouble

Despite Mobius Motors’ innovative developments and investors, the firm had trouble keeping up with its debts. This worsened when the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) came knocking with a tax demand of Ksh 85.74 million in 2018.

This was based on assessments for the period January 2014 to December 2016 with regard to capital received from Mobius’ parent company- withholding tax on software purchases, royalties, consulting services and expenses incurred by Mobius in the UK. The company appealed the case but lost.

Liquidation

On the back of its financial troubles, the company announced a decision to liquidate the company in August 2024 with KVSK Sastry appointed as the liquidator. The liquidation process was put on hold to allow for a buyout process.

Acquisition

In March 2025, Mobius announced that it had been acquired by Middle Eastern technology and investment company, Silver Box.

Silver Box Acquires Mobius Motors Kenya, Ushering in a Bold New Chapter for Kenya’s Automotive Industry.

From left Mr. John Kavila C.O.O , Mr. Al Mardhoof Al Saadi Silver Box and Mr. Shabbir Jivanjee Consultant and Transaction Advisor. pic.twitter.com/g6g5IT6VT0
— Mobius Motors (@MobiusMotors) March 11, 2025

Mobius’ service centers were reopened with production and manufacturing for the Mobius 3 projected to be fully operational by July 2025. A new model is also in the works for December 2025.

As part of the transition, Mr. John Kavila has been appointed as COO of Mobius Motors. Outgoing CEO, Nicolas Guibert, has expressed confidence in the future of the company under Mr. Kavila’s leadership.