Golden Arrow Busses are going ELECTRIC … But at a COST

Following the eight-day taxi strike and unrest on Western Cape roads, it’s finally something to smile about. The city has announced that 60 Chinese-sourced electric Golden Arrow Busses will be joining its fleet in 2024.

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The electrification of Golden Arrow Busses has been a priority for the city since it put its first Chinese-built BYD K9 onto the road in April 2021. Now the bus service has plans to introduce 60 electric buses next year, followed by a further 60 every year. The goal is to eventually replace its full fleet of 1 100 diesel-powered busses.

ELECTRIC GOLDEN ARROW BUSSES

Golden Arrow Busses used its first 37-seater electric bus in a trial and feasibility test, transporting commuters in and around the city. It then acquired another 65-seater unit in September 2022 which was more suited to special operations. The Chinese-built busses are believed to be three-times more expensive than diesel equivalents.

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As a result, the service has steadily reduced its carbon footprint since 2017, in conjunction with the installation of solar panels at six of its bus depots in Cape Town. These currently have a peak generation capacity of 1.7MW which has helped generate electricity for the busses and company.

ELECTRIC TESTING

The two Golden Arrow Busses have completed 7 000 km of testing sans passengers but with the maximum weight modelled using sandbags. 50 000 km of testing then took place with passengers on board to test safety and real-world range.

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Golden Arrow Busses says the electric BYD buses were able to operate on the steepest inclines in Cape Town, most notably Hospital Bend on the M3. Passengers reported a quiet, comfortable ride with improved air quality at bus stops due to no diesel fumes.

WHAT’S THE UPSIDE?

Golden Arrow Busses says it will save R657 000 per year on fuel by switching to electric. Not to mention 50% savings in spare parts and 80% savings in oils and lubricants. This cost saving will see the electric busses pay for themselves within eight years, according to the company. The electric busses are limited to 100 km/h, have a range of 300 km and take three hours to recharge on an 80 kW DC charger.

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The estimated annual investment from Golden Arrow Busses is believed to be R486 million, meaning a total investment of R5.8 billion to convert the entire fleet over 18 years. The current diesel fleet burns over 25 million litres of fuel and emits around 67.3 tonnes of CO2 per year covering a total distance of 65 million kilometres in Cape Town.

What do you think of the electric Golden Arrow Busses? Do you think they should be utilised country-wide and will we ever see a fully electrified bus fleet in South Africa? Let us know in the comments section below.

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