Electrification of public transportation

This case study examines the piloting of electric buses by Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) in Cape Town, South Africa, evaluating their operational performance, cost-effectiveness, and the integration of solar energy for charging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) conducted an 18-month pilot project from April 2021 to September 2022 using two 37-seater battery electric buses. The buses, which used imported BYD chassis and locally manufactured bodies by Busmark, successfully operated on steep terrain, including the Hospital Bend route, and confirmed a battery range of 300km on a full charge.
• The operational cost-benefit analysis indicates that electric buses provide significant savings over diesel alternatives. GABS found energy cost savings of nearly 69% and estimated annual fuel savings of R359,460.00 per bus. While the purchase price of an electric bus (R5.4 million to R8.1 million) is two to three times higher than a diesel bus (R2.7 million), the investment is expected to pay for itself over a lifespan of 15 to 20 years.
• Electric buses demonstrated improved operational efficiency and lower maintenance requirements compared to diesel buses, specifically showing an 80% reduction in oils and lubricants and a 50% reduction in spare parts. Energy efficiency was measured at approximately 0.99 kWh per km.
• To mitigate the environmental impact of using coal-generated grid electricity from Eskom, GABS has installed rooftop solar PV at six depots. By March 2023, the installed capacity reached 1.7MWp, including an 800kWp installation at the Epping head office. However, GABS estimates it will need 80 to 100MW of peak installed renewable energy capacity to fully power its fleet of 1,100 buses.
• GABS identified two primary windows for opportunity charging at depots to avoid high-utilisation peaks (04:00-09:00 and 15:00-21:30): a mid-day off-peak window (09:00 to 15:00) where 70% of the fleet is available, and a night-time off-peak window (21:30 to 04:00) where 95% of the fleet is available.
• GABS plans to replace its existing fleet of 1,100 diesel buses by acquiring 60 electric buses annually starting in 2024. This transition is estimated to require an annual investment of between R324 million and R486 million.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Electrification of public transportation. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CCT23_GABS-case-study_Electrification-of-public-transportation.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Electrification of public transportation. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CCT23_GABS-case-study_Electrification-of-public-transportation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Electrification of public transportation |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CCT23_GABS-case-study_Electrification-of-public-transportation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendelectrification, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Electrification of public transportation}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CCT23_GABS-case-study_Electrification-of-public-transportation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }