Public transportation across Nigerian campuses relies heavily on fuel-powered vehicles and shuttles, with high running costs and fossil-fuel emissions. This entry proposes the design of an 8-seater electric campus shuttle bus, as a low-cost, electrified alternative suited to Nigerian campus operating conditions – providing higher performance, efficiency, and low emissions.

The vehicle is driven by dual rear BLDC hub motors in a direct-drive configuration, eliminating the gearbox and its associated mechanical losses entirely. Each motor delivers 3.87 kW continuous (7.75 kW combined) and 6.00 kW peak, producing 122 Nm continuous torque per wheel directly at the wheel. Power is supplied by a 72V, 138 Ah LiFePO4 battery pack (9.94 kWh total, 8.94 kWh usable), chosen for its thermal stability and long cycle life in tropical climates. Two independent PWM BLDC speed controllers manage the motors, enabling differential torque distribution and bidirectional regenerative braking, which recovers 20–25% of trip energy and extends estimated range to approximately 96.7 km at a 32 km/h cruise speed [and top speed, 40 Km/h].

What makes this design novel is the elimination of the gearbox/differential assembly common in converted ICE-to-EV shuttle designs. By mounting BLDC motors directly in the rear wheel hubs, the drivetrain achieves 95% mechanical efficiency, reduces moving parts and maintenance burden, and frees up chassis space for a flat-floor battery sub-frame. This skateboard-inspired structural layout, paired with a tubular steel space-frame body, keeps curb weight to approximately 1,365 kg and GVWR to approximately 2,105 kg, placing the vehicle in the light commercial weight class while still supporting an 8-seat layout, full safety systems (ABS, ESC, dual-stage frontal and side-curtain airbags, AEB), and FRSC/UN ECE-aligned dimensions.

The vehicle would be manufactured using regionally available materials: mild steel (S275/S355) box-section framing, aluminum battery enclosure cladding, and commercially sourced hub motors, controllers, and LiFePO4 cells, keeping production reliant on processes already accessible to Nigerian fabricators rather than requiring specialized EV supply chains. This positions the design for low-cost local assembly rather than import-dependent manufacturing.

The primary application is fixed-route, short-distance campus transportation across different universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Beyond university campuses, the same direct-drive hub-motor architecture and modular battery sizing approach could be adapted for institutional, hospital, or estate shuttle fleets. By demonstrating that a direct-drive electric powertrain can meet real campus duty-cycle demands using commercially available components, this project offers a replicable template for affordable electrification of short-haul institutional transport in the region.