A recent case study published by nonprofit organisation GreenCape, in partnership with Golden Arrow Bus Service, shows the opportunities and viability of electric buses.
The study in Cape Town focused on driving range, energy efficiency, charging, maintenance, ownership and commuter experience. Apart from the positive effects to the environment and opportunities in localisation of the manufacturing processes, analysis shows Golden Arrow could save R657,000 in annual fuel costs per bus, per year, by switching from diesel to electric buses.
There are about 65,000 buses and minibuses in SA that can be replaced by electric ones despite higher purchase prices, which can be two to three times a diesel equivalent. The study shows these fuel savings can be accrued by the bus fleet operator over the average lifespan of eight to 12 years at an average of 60,000km driven annually, according to the study.
The pilot study used a pair of 65-seater BYD K9 models with its bus bodies manufactured and assembled locally by Randfontein-based Busmark, a company that develops and manufactures service buses for local and international clients.
The imported electric bus chassis and powertrain are built by Chinese company BYD. The buses are powered by a pair of synchronised motors with a total system output of 300kW and 1,100Nm. The bus is integrated with a 324kWh battery that takes three hours to fully charge.
The buses are rated with a 100km/h top speed and driving range of 300km per charge.
They initially covered 7,000km in field testing without passengers. The maximum passenger load was modelled using sandbags. An additional 50,000km of testing were added with passengers on board, the key results including the capability of the high-torque nature of the electric buses to easily handle steep inclines found in Cape Town.
The report adds that there are no topographical or operational challenges hindering municipalities, investors in the electric mobility value chain and bus fleet owners in SA considering electric buses in their fleets.
“We are seeing more electric buses being adopted in a lot of cities around the world. It’s always good to get local insights from bus companies that have successfully piloted or rolled out electric bus operations on their routes. This gives us a better understanding of how these electric buses are faring,” said Green Cape.
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