South Africa’s first electric minibus taxi model, the eKamva, was launched this week and is said to turn the taxi industry on its head.
The minibus taxi model was unveiled by a consortium led by GoMetro, alongside an integrated new electric vehicle (EV) business model and charging infrastructure product called flx EV at the Smarter Mobility Africa summit.
The vehicle - eKamva - was launched by a partnership of companies and research institutions, led by GoMetro, a transport technology platform.
The partnership kicked off last year to investigate and advance the feasibility of an electric minibus taxi in South African conditions by testing production vehicles in South Africa.
The project team, which included various entities within Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Engineering, conducted rigorous and extensive testing in and around Stellenbosch on existing taxi routes, using traditional minibus taxis.
Although the fuel price has momentarily come down, commuters still feel the pinch of increasing transport fares. The typical South African commuter already spends up to 40% of their income on transport. At the same time, the minibus taxi sector is still struggling from the impact of the pandemic and ride-sharing apps on operations.
Minibus taxis transport millions of people in Southern Africa daily and contribute an estimated 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in South Africa alone, consuming two billion tonnes of fuel a year.
The flx EV website will soon allow minibus taxi owners and operators to apply to be added to the waiting list for the solution. It is in the process of developing charging hubs with partners across South Africa, with the first hubs slated for development in Century City and Stellenbosch in the next 12 months.
The flx EV app will let taxi owners manage their fleets, see each vehicle’s status and prepay for recharging, while drivers will be directed to their closest charging hub. GoMetro CEO Justin Coetzee stated, “This is a new approach to electrifying the smaller-vehicle public transport industry. We believe it will spark an entirely new economic sector and is socio-economically very important for the automotive sector.”
Historical data gathered by GoMetro indicates that replacing urban taxi and shuttle fleets with eKamvas will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 13.7 tonnes per vehicle per annum, according to project leader Rudi Kriel.
“Most taxis spend up to three hours a day between morning and evening peak hours at the ranks we have analysed, more than sufficient time to fast-charge an eKamva,” Kriel noted. He added that EVs have fewer breakdowns than internal combustion vehicles and are cheaper to run, leading to increased profitability per vehicle, and they have a longer life expectancy.
“EVs also reduce nitrous oxides, sulphur oxides and particulate matter (known as PM2.5 particles) in the air, improving community health, a major cost factor for the government,” Kriel explained. PM2.5s are very small particles of 2.5 micrometres (0.0025 mm) or smaller in diameter, usually found in smoke. “They are small enough to enter deep into the lungs when inhaled, causing wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing - and some may even get into our bloodstreams,” Kriel added.
The 15-seater eKamva has a range of more than 200km between charges, fast-charges within 75 minutes via a 60kW DC charger, and slow-charges overnight for 10 hours. The eKamva (a play on the isiXhosa word ikamva, meaning “the future” or “into the future”) is currently undergoing homologation - being certified compliant with local safety and vehicle standards.
EVs are considered a silver bullet to globally decarbonise the transport sector. The development of low-carbon transport in cities is part of the global agenda to delay climate change and relates to many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
While EV sales have increased substantially in the Global North and many international vehicle manufacturers plan to stop production of combustion engines as early as 2030, in sub-Saharan Africa, the transition to EVs continues to be painstakingly slow.
Professor Thinus Booysen, Research Chair in the Internet of Things at Stellenbosch University, leads the team of testing experts.
“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. This collaborative project will ensure we are prepared for and carefully manage this exciting transition,” Booysen said.
According to Dr Bernard Bekker, Associate Director of Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, the future electrification of the transport sector in South Africa raises significant technical and regulatory challenges related to integrating electric transport into our existing grid infrastructure.
These challenges are unique to South Africa, where minibus taxis will potentially represent a much larger proportion of the future electrical fleet than, for example, Europe or the USA.
“The availability of a real-life electric minibus taxi to inform our research activities will provide very valuable inputs into addressing these challenges,” Bekker concluded.
Mario Maio, Founder and CEO of ACDC Dynamics, meanwhile, said it is time for the transport industry to evolve. “We are not only reducing the carbon footprint of this essential industry but also helping to create a greener, more responsible South Africa for future generations,” he stated.