The City of Cape Town has successfully completed an electric vehicle (EV) pilot project aimed at testing the viability of the electrification of municipal vehicle fleets.
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The project was funded by the City’s Fleet Management Department. GreenCape developed a business case for the pilot and the City of Cape Town’s Traffic Services fleet was elected to form part of the initiative.
‘Our aim with this pilot project was to eventually have a solid local business case for the electrification of municipal vehicle fleets,’ says Alderman Theresa Uys, Mayco member for corporate services.
‘Municipal fleet managers exploring the procurement of EVs for their fleets now have this case study to refer to and use as part of their business motivations. The greatest incentive, of course, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality in our cities and save on operational costs.’
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Prian Reddy, GreenCape’s senior analyst for sustainable mobility and energy storage, says the City completed the three-year electric vehicle pilot project, proving the business case for the concept. ‘Battery electric vehicle technology paired with renewable energy for charging is a viable mechanism to achieve the City’s net-zero emission goal by 2050.’
The following insights were revealed during the case study:
- Evs used in municipal fleets reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve cities’ air quality, and save on fuel costs.
- There is a viable business case for procuring electric passenger vehicles for municipal fleets to be used as a decarbonisation lever in municipalities if charged with renewable energy.
- Evs procured by municipalities must be fit for purpose and a suitable charging network must be developed to support operational requirements.
- The project found that the purchase price plus operational costs of electric vehicles are more affordable than internal combustion engine vehicle equivalents.
According to the City’s Traffic Services, the EVs, as patrol vehicles, effectively reduced fuel costs and were easy to use in and around the CBD.
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