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Does anyone have an update on the tricycle price in nigeria for bulk purchases intended for a transport fleet?

I am setting up a micro-transportation company in a developing estate on the outskirts of Lagos where commercial buses are not allowed to operate. I need to purchase about ten tricycles to start the fleet. Since I am buying in bulk, I am looking for the most competitive tricycle price in nigeria directly from major distributors, not third-party retailers. I am considering the Piaggio brand because they run on diesel and seem larger, but Bajaj is also on my list. What is the unit cost right now? Also, does anyone have experience with the new electric tricycles entering the market, or should I stick to the traditional petrol engines for reliability?

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If you are buying a fleet of ten, the bulk tricycle price in nigeria will give you significant leverage to negotiate with major distributors. Instead of paying the retail price of 1.8 Million Naira, you can negotiate directly with the major assembly plants or prime distributors (like DAG Industries for Bajaj) to get the unit price down to around 1.55 Million to 1.65 Million Naira. Since you are setting up in a developing estate with bad roads, Piaggio is a very interesting choice. Piaggio tricycles run on diesel engines. They are significantly larger, can carry more passengers comfortably, and the diesel engine produces massive torque for climbing muddy hills. However, the initial purchase price of a Piaggio is much higher (often over 2.5 Million Naira), and their spare parts are not as common as Bajaj.

Regarding the electric alternatives and the tricycle price in nigeria: Electric tricycles are slowly entering the Nigerian market, and they look very attractive because they eliminate the massive daily cost of buying petrol. However, for a commercial fleet operator, I strongly advise against buying electric tricycles right now. The charging infrastructure in Nigeria is non-existent. If your estate does not have 24/7 electricity, your drivers will not be able to work the next day. Furthermore, the heavy lithium batteries located under the chassis degrade quickly under the intense Nigerian heat, and replacing a dead battery pack will cost almost as much as buying a new petrol engine. Stick to petrol Bajaj tricycles for now; the technology is proven, and downtime for repairs is minimal.

For an estate transport scheme, Bajaj is still your best bet. You can hire one mechanic to service all ten tricycles every weekend because the engines are identical and incredibly simple to maintain.

Piaggio is built like a small truck. It is extremely durable, but the vibration from the diesel engine is very loud and uncomfortable for passengers on short estate trips. It is better suited for carrying heavy cargo, not estate residents.

If you buy 10 brand new tricycles, ensure you enforce a strict rule that the riders must change the engine oil every 2 weeks. Commercial riding puts massive strain on the small 200cc engines.