Electrification of municipal vehicle fleets

This case study by GreenCape examines an electric vehicle (EV) pilot project conducted by the City of Cape Town (CCT) between 2020 and 2022. The project compared five BMWi3 EVs with five internal combustion engine (ICE) VW Golf GTI vehicles within the CCT Traffic Services department to evaluate the business case for municipal fleet electrification.

• The City of Cape Town's EV pilot project demonstrated that the combined purchase price and operational costs of electric passenger vehicles are more affordable than their internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents over a seven-year period. Specifically, the total cost for a BMWi3 EV was R768,950.00, compared to R1,415,281.00 for a VW Golf GTI ICE vehicle.
• Operational costs for the BMWi3 EVs ranged from R0.35 to R0.46 per km, whereas the operational cost for the VW Golf GTI ICE vehicles was R2.36 per km.
• The City of Cape Town has identified 477 hatchback passenger vehicles in its fleet as potential candidates for electrification. These vehicles have an average annual mileage of 35,000 km and currently cost approximately R40 million annually in refuelling, with estimated annual emissions of 4,000 tonnes of CO2.
• Road transport is a significant contributor to the City of Cape Town's environmental footprint, accounting for 28.7% of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 54.4% of its total energy consumption, according to the 2021 State of Energy and Carbon Report.
• The CCT's Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) aims for carbon neutrality by 2050, with specific actions including the procurement of EVs for the fleet and the installation of publicly accessible demonstration chargers.
• The pilot project highlighted the necessity of ensuring EVs are fit for purpose, specifically regarding battery range and the availability of a fast DC charging network to support operational requirements during shifts.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Electrification of municipal vehicle fleets. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Case-Study-–-Electrification-of-Municipal-Vehicle-Fleet.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Electrification of municipal vehicle fleets. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Case-Study-–-Electrification-of-Municipal-Vehicle-Fleet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Electrification of municipal vehicle fleets |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Case-Study-–-Electrification-of-Municipal-Vehicle-Fleet.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendelectrification, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Electrification of municipal vehicle fleets}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Case-Study-–-Electrification-of-Municipal-Vehicle-Fleet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }