Chinese renewable energy firm, BYD, has won a contract to supply 11 electric battery-powered buses to Cape Town, South Africa, which aspires to be the first city in Africa to use electric buses for public transport. The city will initially deploy the 12 metre-long buses as an express service between the central business district and the Metro South East area with a view to reassigning them to Cape Town’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system once infrastructure support is in place. The Shenzhen-based company’s successful bid for this tender comes shortly after the launch of Europe’s largest electric bus fleet in London. In addition to providing electricity from solar panels, the new bus fleet also features lithium-ion batteries that can provide up to 100 kilometres of range per charge.
Chinese renewable energy firm, BYD, has won a contract to supply 11 electric battery-powered buses to Cape Town, South Africa, which aspires to be the first city in Africa to use electric buses for public transport. The city will initially deploy the 12 metre-long buses as an express service between the central business district and the Metro South East area with a view to reassigning them to Cape Town’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system once infrastructure support is in place. In addition to providing electricity from solar panels, the new bus fleet also features lithium-ion batteries that can provide up to 100 kilometres of range per charge.