E-mobility makes cents
Even before the fuel price started skyrocketing, electric vehicles (EVs) started becoming popular. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in the whole of 2012, about 130 000 EVs were sold worldwide. Today, that many are sold in the space of a single week, it reports.
EVs have especially gained in popularity in the last three years – bucking the trend when vehicle sales declined during the pandemic. According to the IEA, 2.2 million EVs were sold in 2019, three million were sold in 2020 and, in 2021, EV sales more than doubled to 6.6 million. The agency reckons that there are now around 16 million EVs on the roads worldwide, consuming roughly 30 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity per year.
This trend is only set to be exacerbated by the rising price of fuel. Here in South Africa, there are of course some challenges when it comes to EV adoption. One is the nervousness of buyers who are continually faced with load shedding. Environmental activists also point out, quite rightly, that South Africa’s electricity is dirty. But, while these challenges are real, it seems as though some South Africans are still willing to go the EV route.
Enter the green taxi
Over the years we have seen a slow increase in the number of EVs on South Africa’s roads, with the high price tag of these vehicles being a major deterrent. But now a somewhat improbable group of road users could go the EV route, namely the minibus taxi sector. This could have significant implications on the pockets of South Africans (minibus taxis carry more than 70% of daily commuters). A move to electric taxis would no doubt be welcomed by South African commuters, who are now spending up to 40% of their income on transport.
The move to green taxis is being driven by a project team of companies and research institutions, who have announced a research partnership to investigate and advance the feasibility of an electric minibus taxi in South African conditions. They aim to test production vehicles in South Africa in 2023. They would also like to speed up the transition to EVs in sub-Saharan Africa, noting that – while EV sales have increased substantially in the Global North and many global vehicle manufacturers plan to stop production of combustion engines as early as 2030 – the transition to EVs in sub-Saharan Africa continues to be painstakingly slow.
Big project team
The project team – consisting of GoMetro, MiX Telematics, HSW, ACDC Dynamics, and various entities within Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Engineering – will conduct rigorous and extensive testing in and around the town of Stellenbosch. They also plan to put the electrification of the minibus taxi sector firmly on the national agenda by means of an educational roadshow in all nine provinces in the course of 2023.
“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 Justin Coetzee, GoMetro CEO.
More than one taxi model
Several viable electric minibus taxi models from various markets have been identified, 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 tested extensively with taxi owners and drivers. In addition, the tests aim to establish which vehicle will be best suited to the South African public transport industry, and what spectrum of operations are conducive to the range capabilities of the vehicles.
Professor Thinus Booysen, Research Chair in the Internet of Things at Stellenbosch University, will lead the team of testing experts. He acknowledges that there are some challenges surrounding the electrification of minibus taxis. “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,” he explains.
Proud partners
The various partners associated with the project are enthusiastic about its potential. “Since MiX Telematics is at the forefront of innovation and leveraging new technologies to improve fleet operations and efficiency, we are very excited to be part of this pioneering initiative. We have seen the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles increasing exponentially in Europe, and so look forward to learning how we can support these solutions in the South African context,” says Catherine Lewis, Executive VP of Technology at MiX Telematics.
The final word goes to Mario Maio, Founder and Managing Director of ACDC Dynamics: “The minibus taxi is ubiquitous in the South African landscape, moving millions of people over the years, contributing to getting South Africa to work – unfortunately in an environmentally unsustainable manner. ACDC Dynamics is proud to be part of the change that will be brought to this industry as it adopts electric/battery-powered taxis through our capabilities to supply battery charging networks across the country.”
So, who knows? Maybe one day, in the not-too-distant future, thousands of minibus taxis in South Africa will not make a single sound as they cruise our roads. Well, their engines will be silent. The move to e-mobility won’t silence their hooting!
