The City of Cape Town’s first electric bus arrived from Johannesburg, where the bodies of the MyCiTi electric bus fleet are being manufactured. This prototype e-bus will be piloted on a variety of routes in coming weeks to determine its performance on steep inclines and downhill, in the city environment with many stop-and-goes, in heavy traffic during peak periods, and when travelling longer distances.

All-in-all, the City will take delivery of 38 low-floor battery-electric buses as part of the roll-out of the MyCiTi bus service to the metro-south east.

The buses are expected to arrive during the current calendar year with the fleet earmarked for operational roll-out in 2027. These are 12-metre Volvo BZRLE battery-electric buses and the first MyCiTi buses where the bodies have been designed in South Africa and locally manufactured in Gauteng.

‘The MyCiTi service is now 16 years old. The arrival of our first e-bus is a major highlight in this journey and supports our transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable public transport system that is not only more cost-effective to operate and maintain, but more resilient. Some countries operating e-buses have noted a reduction of up to 70% in operating costs. We are eager to see how this bus performs in our local environment in coming weeks, in particular as we are operating in an increasingly volatile global energy market,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

The prototype bus is branded in the familiar MyCiTi colours and will be tested on several routes across Cape Town, including Hospital Bend, the N2 highway, in Camps Bay, and where appropriate, along other routes such as Polkadraai Road and Jip de Jager Drive.

‘I encourage residents to be on the lookout for this low-floor bus. It will be clearly branded. While the pilot will evaluate the vehicle under different operating conditions across the city, the electric bus fleet is earmarked for deployment as part of the roll-out of the second phase of the MyCiTi bus service between Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha and Wynberg and Claremont, and on routes within the Cape Town CBD,’ said Councillor Quintas.

The electric bus research is undertaken in collaboration with the University of Cape Town to test how the e-bus performs on different route profiles and is funded by the City of Cape Town and through a grant from the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI).

The pilot will assess battery performance, energy consumption, charging times, passenger loading, route profiles and the impact of Cape Town’s climate on vehicle performance. The findings will also assist the City in refining operational planning, including charging strategies, maintenance requirements, driver training, infrastructure readiness and fleet deployment.

‘The research will help us understand how the electric buses will perform in our local context, and what challenges we need to consider before we roll out the e-bus fleet in 2027. This information will ensure that we are well-prepared for the introduction of electric buses into scheduled passenger service. The operational data will support the successful roll out of the e-fleet and inform future investment in zero-emission public transport, making us greener and cleaner as we continue to keep Cape Town moving,’ said Councillor Quintas.

• If all goes as planned, the first e-buses will start operating by 1 July 2027 between Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha, Wynberg and Claremont, as well as in the Cape Town CBD.

The acquisition of more battery-electric buses remains a strategic priority for the City, but will depend on the availability of future funding from the National Government.