Drive BUV

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How Durable are the BUV Brakes?

I’m not an engineer but my thought is that truck brakes on a Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) will last a really long time. After all, the BUV is 1/3 the weight of a truck and goes about 1⁄4 of the average speed, at 20 mph. It would seem that the BUV’s truck brakes would last ten times as long as a BUV in Africa than they do on a pickup truck in the USA. 
 
Here’s my rough math:
BUV brake load = 1/3 pickup weight x 1/4 average speed of pickup x applied 1/2 as often = 1/12 the load of the brakes on a first world pick up.
Or in plain English: a BUV is one-third the weight of a pickup truck, and goes one-fourth the average speed. If you apply the brakes half as often, you’ll put one-twelfth the load on those brakes as you would a pickup truck here in the United States. To me, that means the brakes will last a really, really long time.
 
I asked Will Austin how often he has to send out brake drums or brake hardware kits to our BUV owners around the world.
“Never,” he said. “Our oldest units now have 9 years of service in the field, and we’ve never had to replace the brakes.”

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Using the BUV as an Ambulance

Imagine you have to get to the hospital. It’s about ten miles down a dirt road and your options of getting there are being pushed in a wheelbarrow, or riding a motorcycle, clutching onto the driver. There are even times the sick person is sandwiched between two other people. One is driving, and the other is holding on to the driver, with the patient sandwiched between them, unconscious and unable to hold on.

Woody Collins of Congo Helping Hands

Woody Collins of Congo Helping Hands

There’s the option of a horse, but those are few and far between and an ox cart is so slow to pull, there’s a good chance the patient won’t make it to the hospital alive.

The Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) makes the trip to the hospital easier and much faster. Since the BUV is built to go over rough terrain, the drive there doesn’t take long. The vehicle also has 60” leaf springs, so the extra suspension makes the ride much more comfortable.

Most Chinese 3-wheelers have very stiff springs which are half the length. Also, the BUV has a truck bed, so the injured person can lie down and remain as comfortable as possible on the trip to the hospital.

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The BUV’s Design Simplicity

One thing we worked hard to create on the Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) is its simple structure. With three wheels, a truck bed, and a steel frame, the BUV can conquer many rural roads across Africa.
 
But why three wheels? Why not four like on an ATV or a truck?
 
It also allows for constant contact with the ground with virtually no frame twisting. By having one fork on the front end, the drivers can easily change any tire.
 
The three wheels also creates a more stable base. When an ATV gets into an accident, there is a tendency for the ATV to follow you. That is, if you flip the back-end of the ATV will follow. This is why there are many ATV injuries – the ATV often lands on top of the driver.
 
A motorcycle, on the other hand, will shoot away from you in the event of an accident, such as a slide. You can still be injured in the accident but it’s not usually caused by the bike itself.
 
The BUV has significant mass to help protect the driver in slow speed accidents. However, the driver also has the option to jump clear of the vehicle if he or she decides to, making the simple design helpful in the rural areas of Africa.

 

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How Issa Changed His Life with a BUV

Meet Issah, a BUV driver. In Ghana, Issah owns a farm where he raises yams and cassavas – a type of root that looks similar to a potato. He has a girlfriend, but not enough money to pay her dowry and marry her.

Issah was selected by Pastor Samuel Mensah to be one of the BUV drivers.

Issa in GhanaThe results have been amazing. He has established regular customers and routes, hauling sand, gravel, and water with his BUV. They pay him for his deliveries, because it saves them time and energy, which allows them to focus on other work at home, like tending to their own families or doing other paid work.

Issah now hires three to four people to work at his farm during the planting season. He is earning income, investing in his farm, planning to marry his girlfriend, and he committed his life to Christ.

Who applies to be a driver of a Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV)? Most applicants are from local ministries or churches who aren’t the most fortunate financially. What we have found is that these drivers have good values, they are dependable, hardworking, and trustworthy. Issah was selected by Pastor Mensah because he exhibited those qualities. And with all the hard work he’s done with his BUV, he’s helping his community grow and prosper.

You can help people like Issa by supporting our BUV crowdfunding campaign. Our goal is to send enough parts to our BUV Tanzania factory to build and sell 60 BUVs throughout Africa.

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The BUVs Financial Sustainability

One of the interesting features the Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) offers to owner-operators is the vehicle’s ability to pay for itself.

BUV Cleaning CityFor many owners, they are in a rent-to-own payment plan. They make a down payment and then pay for the vehicle as they earn money with it.

A couple of the sites, including the new BUV Tanzania Factory, require that the funding comes from local sources so all the funds go back to the community. They typically do not allow outside fundraising. Missionaries may receive funding from any source.

A typical down payment for a BUV is $500-1000 USD. The owner can then start generating an income, having no problem making a $200 USD/month payment. With these payments, most BUVs are paid off within two years and create a large sum for the owner with a positive ripple effect to the community.

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