In most sub-Saharan African countries, private operators of small buses, usually carrying 16 to 25 passengers and in some cases up to 35 passengers, are the main providers of commuter transport. These minibuses usually operate on an informal schedule, and sometimes their routes are not fixed. Ubiquitous in sub-Saharan Africa, these private minibus taxis carry more than 70% of daily passengers. In Kenya they are popularly known as Matatus, in Zimbabwe as Emergency Taxis (ETs) or Kombis and in South Africa as Taxis.
As fuel prices reach historic highs, both operators and passengers are beginning to feel the pinch of rising transportation fares. The typical South African commuter already spends 40% of their income on transport and the minibus taxi sector is still struggling from the impact of the past two years on their operations.
A project team of companies and research institutes has formed a research partnership to investigate and develop the feasibility of electric minibus taxis in South African conditions by testing vehicles manufactured in South Africa in 2023. One of the leading partners, GoMetro, a global mobility management technology company headquartered in Cape Town, has collected data on taxi operations in South Africa over the past 5 years. Armed with all this information, GoMetro assembled a project team of innovative companies and researchers to launch a demonstration project to test the first van in South African conditions by January 2023 to advance the development of local e-mobility.
A project team consisting of GoMetro, MiX Telematics, HSW, ACDC Dynamics and Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Engineering will conduct rigorous and extensive testing in and around Stellenbosch, as well as the electrification of the minibus taxi. Place the sector firmly on the national agenda through educational roadshows in all nine states during 2023. GoMetro’s end-to-end public transport technology and planning solutions help governments, transport authorities, county councils, transport operators and transport consultants.
A number of reliable electric minibus taxi models have been identified from various markets, the first of which will be on South African shores by the end of the year. The acceptance and practicality of the model will be extensively tested with taxi owners and drivers, to determine the use cases and conditions under which an electric taxi would make the most sense.
“Taxi drivers and owners are very excited and interested in the idea of an electric minibus taxi and we are constantly being asked when the first electric minibus taxi will arrive on our shores,” says Justin Coetzee, CEO of GoMetro. “We have built valuable relationships with a large number of taxi associations and the ever-increasing cost of fuel is a major concern among owners, drivers and riders alike as there is no relief in sight. The industry has long recognized that business as usual will not suffice – and that change is particularly needed after the effects of COVID-19.
The aim of testing the various models over the coming months is to determine which vehicle will be the best fit for the South African public transport industry and which operating range is best suited to the vehicle’s range of capabilities. In addition to testing the car itself, the project team wants to engage with the automotive sector and policymakers to encourage active discussions with government around reducing tariffs and promoting the adoption of electric vehicles in the transport sector.
“As MiX Telematics is at the forefront of innovation and leveraging new technologies to improve fleet operations and efficiency, we are thrilled to be a part of this pioneering initiative. We have seen the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles grow exponentially in Europe, so we look forward to learning how we can support these solutions in the South African context,” says Kathryn Lewis, Executive Vice President of Technology at MiX Telematics. MiX Telematics is a global provider of fleet and mobile asset management solutions delivered as SaaS to 815,200 global subscribers spanning over 120 countries. The company’s products and services provide solutions for efficiency, safety, compliance and security to enterprise fleets, small fleets and consumers.
Stellenbosch University’s Head of IoT Research, Professor Thinus Booysen, will lead the team of testing experts. “The informal taxi sector needs to convert to EVs, but little is known about their energy requirements. This uncertainty is overshadowed by our energy scarcity and dependence on coal for electricity supply. This joint project will ensure that we are prepared for and carefully manage this exciting transition,” says Booysen. The electric minibus taxi will be on display at the Stellenbosch University campus.
According to Dr Bernard Becker, Deputy Director of Stellenbosch University’s Center for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Research (CRSES), the future electrification of the transport sector in South Africa poses significant technical and regulatory challenges to the integration of electric transport into our existing grid infrastructure. These challenges are in many ways unique to South Africa, where minibus taxis will potentially represent a larger proportion of the future electric fleet than in Europe or the US.
“Having a real-life working electric minibus taxi to inform our research activities will provide very valuable inputs in solving these problems.” The Center for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Research (CRSES) at the University of Stellenbosch enables a sustainable future for Africa through world-class renewable and sustainable energy research, advisory services, awareness campaigns and training programmes. It was established in 2007 to facilitate and stimulate activities in the field of renewable energy research and studies at the world-class Stellenbosch University.
“The minibus taxi is ubiquitous on the South African landscape, moving millions of people over the years and helping South Africa function – unfortunately in an environmentally unsustainable way. ACDC Dynamics is proud to be a part of the change that will be brought to this industry as it embraces electric/battery taxis through our ability to provide battery charging networks across the country,” says Mario Maio, Founder and Managing Director of ACDC Dynamics. Green energy and energy storage solutions have been used by South African industries for the past 30 years.
“HSW is passionate about bringing in local manufacturing. The Western Cape has all the technical skills and resources to establish manufacturing facilities to support such an initiative. There are already existing Electronics Manufacturers with world-class capabilities in Electronics Manufacturing such as Barracuda Holdings, one of HSW’s key customers, proving that high-tech manufacturing technology is already available locally,” says Ryan Webb, Manager. Member of HSW.
Electric vehicles are being heralded as the silver bullet to decarbonise the transport sector globally. The development of low-carbon transport in cities is part of the global agenda to delay climate change and is linked to many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. While electric vehicle sales have grown significantly in the Global North and many global automakers plan to phase out combustion engine production by 2030, the transition to EVs in sub-Saharan Africa has been slow. This research project aims to accelerate the transition to cleaner and greener mobility.
Images courtesy of GoMetro
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