A business case for the electrification of municipal vehicle fleets was recently developed by the City’s partner GreenCape, who has done a case study on the three year Electric Vehicle (EV) pilot project. The City’s Fleet Management Department funded the project and elected the City of Cape Town Traffic Services fleet to form part of this initiative.
‘Our aim with this pilot project was to eventually have a solid local business case for the electrification of municipal vehicle fleets. Municipal fleet managers who are 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 being to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality in our cities and to save on operational costs,’ said the City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Alderman Theresa Uys.
‘The City of Cape Town has successfully completed a three year electric vehicle pilot project, which has proven the business case for the electrification of municipal vehicle fleets. 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,’ said Prian Reddy, Senior Analyst: Sustainable Mobility and Energy Storage at GreenCape.
The case study found the following key insights:
- EVs used in municipal fleets can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improve air quality in cities and save on fuel costs.
- There is a business case for procuring electric passenger vehicles for municipal fleets, which can be used as a decarbonisation lever in municipalities, if charged with renewable energy.
- It is important that EVs procured by municipalities are fit for purpose and that a suitable charging network is developed to support operational requirements.
- The project showed that the purchase price plus operational costs of electric passenger vehicles are more affordable than its internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle equivalent.
The City’s Traffic Services confirmed that the electric vehicles were effective as patrol vehicles in reducing fuel costs and were easy to use in and around the Cape Town CBD . The City believes it is important to explore new technology that is not only cost effective, but also efficient in delivering a service to Cape Town’s residents.
