MyCiTi’s first electric bus (e-bus) has arrived in Cape Town, where it will now be put to the test on the city’s most demanding public transport routes.

The vehicle is a 12-m Volvo BZRLE battery-electric bus, and it is the first MyCiTi bus where the body has been designed in South Africa and manufactured locally.

The prototype e-bus – branded in MyCiTi’s blue-and-red colours – will be piloted on a variety of routes in coming weeks to determine its performance on steep inclines and downhills, in the city environment with its many stop-and-goes, in heavy peak traffic, and in travelling longer distances.

The routes the bus will be tested on include Hospital Bend, the N2 highway, in Camps Bay, and along other routes such as Polkadraai road and Jip de Jager drive.

The pilot study will assess battery performance, energy consumption, charging times, passenger loading, route profiles and the impact of Cape Town’s climate on vehicle performance.

The prototype study is undertaken in collaboration with the University of Cape Town, and is funded by the City of Cape Town (CoCT), and through a grant from the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative.

“The research will help us understand how the electric buses will perform in our local context, and what challenges we need to consider before we roll out the e-bus fleet in 2027,” says CoCT Urban Mobility MMC Rob Quintas.

“This information will ensure that we are well-prepared for the introduction of electric buses into scheduled passenger service.”

All-in-all, Cape Town is set to take delivery of 38 low-floor battery-electric buses as part of the multibillion-rand roll-out of the MyCiTi bus service to the metro-south east.

The buses are expected to arrive during the current calendar year, with the fleet only earmarked for operational roll-out next year.

If all goes as planned, the first e-buses will start operating by July 1, next year, travelling between Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha, Wynberg and Claremont (the metro-south east expansion project), as well as in the Cape Town central business district.

The acquisition of more battery-electric buses remains a strategic priority, says the city, but this will depend on the availability of future funding from national government.

“The MyCiTi service is now 16 years old,” notes Quintas.

“The arrival of our first e-bus is a major highlight in this journey and supports our transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable public transport system that is not only more cost-effective to operate and maintain, but more resilient.

“Some countries operating e-buses have noted a reduction of up to 70% in operating costs,” he adds.

“We are eager to see how this bus performs in our local environment in coming weeks, in particular as we are operating in an increasingly volatile global energy market.”