Testing of electric minibuses in SA conditions to start in Stellenbosch early next year

24th June 2022

By: Irma Venter

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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GoMetro has convened a project team consisting of companies and researchers to test the first electric minibus in South African conditions by January next year.

GoMetro, a global mobility management technology company with its head office in Cape Town, has collected data on taxi operations across South Africa for the last five years.

The project team consists of GoMetro, MiX Telematics, HSW, ACDC Dynamics, and various entities within Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Engineering.

The team will conduct extensive testing in and around the town of Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape, while also aiming to put the electrification of the minibus taxi sector on the national agenda by means of an educational roadshow across the country during the course of next year.

A number of viable electric minibus taxi models from various markets have been identified, the first of which will be on local shores by the end of the year.

The acceptance and practicality of the model (not named) will be tested with taxi owners and drivers, in order to identify the use-cases and conditions where an electric taxi would make the most sense.

“Taxi drivers and owners are very interested and intrigued by the idea of an electric minibus taxi, and are constantly asking us when the first electric minibus taxi will arrive on our shores,” says GoMetro CEO Justin Coetzee.

“We have built valuable relationships with a large number of taxi associations, and the ever-increasing fuel price is a massive concern among owners, drivers and riders alike, as there does not seem to be any relief in sight.

“The industry has long acknowledged that business as usual will not suffice, and that change is required, especially after the effects of Covid-19,” says Coetzee.

The team says the aim of testing various models over the coming months is to establish which vehicle will be best suited to the South African public transport environment, and to determine what spectrum of operations are conducive to the range capabilities of the vehicles.

In addition to testing the vehicle itself, the project team wants to engage with the local automotive sector and policymakers to encourage proactive discussions with government around the reduction of electric vehicle (EV) duties (currently up to 25%) and the promotion of the adoption of EVs in the transport sector.

Toyota is the current market leader in the minibus sector, with the Hiace Ses’fikile produced at its Durban plant.

Professor Thinus Booysen, research chair in the Internet of Things at Stellenbosch University, will lead the team of testing experts.

“The informal taxi sector must transform to EVs, but little is known about their energy requirements.

“This unknown is overshadowed by our energy scarcity and coal dependence on the electricity supply side.

“This collaborative project will ensure we are prepared for and carefully manage this exciting transition,” notes Booysen.

According to Dr Bernard Bekker, the associate director of Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES), the future electrification of the transport sector in South Africa raises significant technical and regulatory challenges related to integrating electric transport into South Africa’s existing grid infrastructure.

“These challenges are in many ways unique to South Africa, where minibus taxis will potentially represent a much larger proportion of the future electrical fleet than, for example, Europe or the US.

“The availability of a real-life electric minibus taxi to inform our research activities will provide very valuable inputs into addressing these challenges,” says Bekker.

The Team Members
GoMetro provides end-to-end public transport technology and planning solutions to assist governments, transport authorities, county councils, transport operators and transport consultants.

The firm says its mission is to improve the way people move through its mobility management superplatform.

MiX Telematics is a global provider of fleet and mobile asset management solutions, delivered as software as a service, to 815 200 global subscribers spanning more than 120 countries.

HSW is active in the electronic manufacturing space.

ACDC Dynamics provides green energy and power storage solutions.

CRSES was established in 2007 to facilitate and stimulate activities in renewable- energy studies and research at the world-class Stellenbosch University.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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