The eThekwini municipality will soon roll out 19 new electric commuter buses.
These buses are expected to be functioning on the streets in the next 18 to 24 months.
The development was revealed by Tebogo Snyer, a project manager at the South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi). The institute recently embarked on a pilot project of bringing 39 electric buses to Tshwane and eThekwini by the end of 2025.
Mr Snyer said the process to purchase and roll out the buses and their associated infrastructure had already begun.
“The R89.4-million funding was secured by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) for the initiative from the Global Environment Facility. In terms of the project scope, the City of Tshwane will be allocated 20 emission-free buses and eThekwini 19, and in both regions, the electricity infrastructure will be upgraded to support the requirements of the charging facilities,” he said.
The project will be implemented over five years, with half of the buses being commissioned in the first two year and the rest thereafter.
“In this time, we will demonstrate the technical, operational, legal, economic and other feasibility factors and bed down the specifications of the ecosystem needed to support electric buses in South Africa. The first buses will, however, only be available for use in the next 18-24 months,” said Mr Synder.
He said drivers would be trained on how to operate the buses and manage charging cycles.
The electric buses, said Mr Synder, were cheaper to run and maintain as well as emitted fewer emissions than diesel buses.
“We want to prepare South Africa for the future. When costs start to come down, local municipalities should be ready to implement the technology that will improve public transport while reducing its environmental impact.”
Lindiwe Khuzwayo, spokesperson for the eThekwini Municipality said they were excited about the project.
