Cape Town will introduce its first electric bus to the MyCiTi fleet in August as part of the city’s transition towards lower-emission public transport.
The city’s urban mobility directorate expects to receive another 13 electric buses between October and December, with the full initial rollout comprising 30 low-floor units delivered by June 2027. The buses — 12m Volvo BZRLE models — will be the first in the programme to feature locally manufactured bodies produced in Johannesburg.
The electric fleet will initially be deployed along MyCiTi routes in the metro south-east, including corridors earmarked for Phase 2A expansion.
Mayoral committee member for urban mobility Rob Quintas said the rollout was timeous, given global energy volatility and geopolitical uncertainty. Beyond reducing carbon emissions, the city expects potential operational and maintenance savings, with international benchmarks suggesting cost reductions of up to 70%.
To assess local viability, the city will partner with the University of Cape Town on a 12-month pilot study. Funded jointly by the municipality and the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative, the research will evaluate performance across different route conditions, battery durability, charging times and the impact of passenger loads and climate on energy consumption.
The findings will inform broader implementation plans, including driver training, maintenance protocols and system integration ahead of a planned scale-up in 2027.
If timelines are met, the first electric buses are expected to enter service from July 2027, operating on routes linking Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Wynberg, Claremont and the Cape Town CBD.
Further expansion of the electric fleet remains contingent on funding allocations from national government.
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