SA's first electric buses take to Cape Town's roads
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- South Africa's first active electric bus was launched in Cape Town on Monday by Golden Arrow Bus Services and Western Cape Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell.
- Two electric buses will now be incorporated in Golden Arrow's day-to-day operations, following a 12-month testing period.
- Golden Arrow celebrated its 160th anniversary this year.
Following a 12-month testing period, South Africa's first electric bus is ready to carry passengers in Cape Town.
Golden Arrow Bus Services, together with the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works, on Monday launched an active electric bus service.
This comes after Golden Arrow first embarked on a "renewable energy" journey in 2017, when it installed two solar plants - which led to two of its facilities being declared carbon neutral in 2020, a joint media release from the department and bus company read. This led to Golden Arrow testing two electric buses for a 12-month period.
"Sufficient testing has now been done to comfortably take the next big step. As of July 2021, the two electric buses have been incorporated into Golden Arrow's day-to-day operations, carrying passengers between Retreat and Cape Town," the statement read.
The buses were tested in various circumstances, without passengers, explained Golden Arrow engineer Gideon Neethling. "The aim was to get to know exactly how these vehicles perform before incorporating them into our operations," said Neethling.
There is still more to be learnt about the new buses such as their electricity usage under different conditions, charge time between trips, maintenance needs and battery degradation, among other things, according to Neethling.
"After taking a ride in this bus, I am confident passengers will feel safe during their journey," said Western Cape MEC of transport and public works, Daylin Mitchell.
05 Jul
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