Chinese renewable energy firm , BYD , has won a contract to supply 11 electric battery - powered buses to Cape Town , South Africa , which is 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 , with a view to reassigning them to Cape Town ’s Bus Rapid Transit ( bus ) system once infrastructure support is in place . The buses use BYD ’s iron - phosphate battery that can sustain over 80 % capacity , even after 4,000 cycles .
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 buses use BYD’s iron-phosphate battery that can sustain over 80% capacity, even after 4,000 cycles.