Natural Habitat Adventures Among the First to Deploy a Solar-Powered Electric Safari Vehicle in Botswana

Natural Habitat Adventures, a leader in responsible nature-based adventure travel, in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), recently deployed one of the safari industry’s first off-the-grid solar-powered electric safari vehicles in Botswana. The innovative and fully electric 4×4 vehicle, powered by renewable solar energy, is part of the brand’s broader initiative to continuously elevate the game drive experience for a more immersive and sustainable safari.

The Electric Safari Vehicle (ESV), a converted Land Cruiser turned from diesel to electric, is charged by an off-grid solar array that uses the sun’s energy to power safari drives. The new ESV is stationed at Nat Hab’s Gomoti Camp in the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta and holds seven passengers.

“This two-year project has been long in the making but well worth the effort to move toward decarbonization and offer more ecologically conscious exploration of the Okavango Delta’s habitat. Not only does an ESV lessen our carbon footprint, it’s also much quieter, making it ideal for game viewing in the African bush,” said Ben Bressler, President of Natural Habitat Adventures.

“We were eager to join the movement toward expanding off-the-grid, solar-powered game drives, which are currently quite rare, but we hope this important progress will spur wider implementation across the safari industry. Demonstrating the performance and reliability of the vehicle coupled with the positive impacts of the enhanced game drive experience and creation of local jobs in solar arrays furthers our company mission of conservation through exploration,” said Bressler.

The Natural Habitat Adventures team was able to create the vehicle and enhance the guest safari experience by taking a formerly diesel-powered 4×4 vehicle and retrofitting it by converting the internal combustion engine to an electric motor and batteries. At night, the ESV is plugged into a solar-powered charging station to recharge the batteries with renewable energy. The electric safari vehicle can go 150+ miles for hours during a daily game drive once it’s been charged for a few hours.

The lack of noise from the solar-powered ESV allows Expedition Leaders to more easily explain details about the wildlife guests are seeing during their game drive. Travelers are not only able to hear the natural sounds of the African bush and discreetly navigate raw wildlife interactions, but also gain more insights about what they encounter on their safari experience.

Learn more about Natural Habitat Adventures’ new ESV here. 

About Natural Habitat Adventures

Natural Habitat Adventures has been a trailblazer in sustainable and conservation-focused adventure travel since 1985. Led by professional naturalist guides, Nat Hab journeys reveal the planet’s most extraordinary nature destinations, including polar bear tours in Churchill, small-group Galapagos cruises, intimate African safaris, close encounters with Alaskan brown bears, wolf quests in Yellowstone, and much more. As the world’s first 100% carbon-neutral travel company, creator of the World’s First Zero Waste Adventure, and the conservation travel partner of World Wildlife Fund since 2003, Nat Hab offers nearly 100 eco-conscious nature adventures from Antarctica to Zimbabwe and beyond.

Featuring unique and artfully crafted itineraries, Nat Hab trips demonstrate how conservation travel works with and benefits local communities, furthering a shared commitment to conservation. Nat Hab actively seeks ways tourism can lower its impact on the planet while raising global citizens’ appreciation for the wonders of nature. For more information, visit nathab.com.