South Africa’s first electric minibus taxi, dubbed eKamva, is set to hit the road early next year.
This is according to Justin Coetzee, CEO of GoMetro, during an interview yesterday with ITWeb, ahead of the launch of the electric taxi.
eKamva was launched today by a consortium led by GoMetro, alongside an integrated new electric vehicle (EV) business model and charging infrastructure product called flx EV, at the Smarter Mobility Africa Summit, in Johannesburg.
The electric taxi was launched by a partnership of companies and research institutions, led by GoMetro, a transport technology platform.
The partnership kicked off in 2023, to investigate and advance the feasibility of an electric minibus taxi in South African conditions by testing production vehicles in South Africa.
The project team, consisting of GoMetro, Powerfleet (formerly MiX Telematics), HSW, ACDC Dynamics and various entities within Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Engineering, conducted rigorous and extensive testing in and around the town of Stellenbosch on existing taxi routes, using traditional minibus taxis.
The eKamva (a play on the isiXhosa word ikamva, meaning “the future” or “into the future”) is currently undergoing homologation – being certified compliant with local safety and vehicle standards – by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications.
Coetzee says the partners are now in the process of deploying charging hubs at taxi ranks to power the electric taxis, starting in Cape Town and Stellenbosch.
He notes they are also engaging taxi organisations, such as the South African National Taxi Council, which have expressed interest in eKamva.
The partners are also tapping technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to boost safety in the local taxi industry.
However, he notes the 40% duty imposed on EVs will see the electric taxi initially going for about R1.2 million, rather than R650 000.
Feeling the pinch
GoMetro, in a statement, says although the fuel price has momentarily come down, commuters still shoulder the burden of increasing transport fares. It states that the typical South African commuter already spends up to 40% of their income on transport.
At the same time, it adds, the minibus taxi sector is still struggling from the impact of the pandemic and ride-share apps on their operations.
According to the company, minibus taxis transport millions of people in Southern Africa daily, contribute an estimated 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in South Africa alone, and consume two billion tonnes of fuel a year.
The flx EV website will soon allow minibus taxi owners and operators to apply to be added to the waiting list for the solution.
Meanwhile, flx EV is in the process of developing charging hubs with partners across South Africa, with the first hubs scheduled for development in Century City and Stellenbosch in the next 12 months, says Coetzee.
The flx EV app will let taxi owners manage their fleets, see each vehicle’s status and prepay for recharging, while drivers will be directed to their closest charging hub.
“This is a new approach to electrifying the smaller-vehicle public transport industry. We believe it will spark an entirely new economic sector and is socio-economically very important for the automotive sector,” Coetzee says.
Historical data gathered by GoMetro indicates that replacing urban taxi and shuttle fleets with eKamvas will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 13.7 tonnes per vehicle per annum, says project lead Rudi Kriel.
“Most taxis spend up to three hours a day between morning and evening peak hours at the ranks we have analysed − more than sufficient time to fast-charge an eKwamva.
“EVs have fewer breakdowns than internal combustion vehicles, and are cheaper to run, which leads to increased profitability per vehicle, and they have a longer life expectancy,” he continues. “EVs also reduce nitrous oxides, sulphur oxides and particulate matter (known as PM2.5 particles) in the air, improving community health, a major cost factor for government.”
Kriel explains that PM2.5s are very small particles of 2.5 micrometres (0.0025mm) or smaller diameter usually found in smoke.
“They are small enough to enter deep into the lungs when inhaled, causing wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing – and some may even get into our bloodstreams.”
The 15-seater eKamva has a range of more than 200km between charges, fast-charges within 75 minutes via a 60kW DC charger and slow-charges overnight for 10 hours, says GoMetro. It delivers an estimated 40% to 70% cost savings over traditional vehicles on running costs, depending on the fuel price (inland vs coastal) and distance of the taxi route in question, it adds.
“Since Powerfleet is at the forefront of innovation that leverages new technologies to improve fleet operations, safety and efficiency, we are excited to be part of this pioneering initiative. The adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles continues to increase exponentially, globally, and so we look forward to learning how we can support these solutions in the South African context,” says Catherine Lewis, chief customer officer of Powerfleet.
Professor Thinus Booysen, research chair in the internet of things at Stellenbosch University, leads the team of testing experts. “The informal taxi sector must transform to EVs, but little is known about their energy requirements.
“This unknown is overshadowed by our energy scarcity and coal dependence on the electricity supply side. This collaborative project will ensure we are prepared for and carefully manage this exciting transition.”
Ad valorem pain
Adds Coetzee: “If government drops the 40% unnecessary ad valorem tax that they place on electric vehicles, EVs will be more affordable. Government says EVs are luxury goods, and needs to tax it for 40%. So, you tell me if a taxi is a luxury good? I see it as an everyday necessity.
“If we change the tax regime, and remove the luxury tax on an electric minibus, we will be able to sell this vehicle from R650 000 to R750 000, which is the same price as a Toyota Quantum today. However, because of the 40% duty, the price is going to be R1.1 million to R1.2 million.
“So, I ask ‘who’s going to pay double for a taxi?’ Nobody. What we have done is we have thought about how it’s done internationally. What they do is they sell you your chassis and put the battery on a subscription contract.”
He notes the battery will come with a minimum amount of miles, maintenance agreement, as well as a buyback agreement.
“When the battery runs out of its mobility applications, we can still use those batteries in power stations and commercial applications. It’s a concept called total cost of ownership, which is significantly cheaper over a decade than a diesel-powered taxi.
“The maximum speed is 100km/h on an open road but what the taxi drivers will like is there is an eco-drive mode, which drives like your granny, and there is power mode, which gives them a nice pull away where they can jump in front of the diesels at the robots.”
He adds that the new vehicle comes with a reverse camera, and the partners are looking at putting blind spot detection, radar detection, speed control, advanced telematics and an AI camera that enables operators to see if the driver is falling asleep, or if they are distracted.
“It can also measure safe following distance, so there is a lot of active electronics that we can use to make our roads safer. We are very serious about bringing technologies to make taxis safer and we are showing South Africa that we should be demanding more safety features from our vehicle providers.”
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