This is eKamva, the first electric minibus developed and built in South Africa, and it has the potential to change the way people travel not only in their home country but across the African continent.
The 15-seater vehicle, whose name is a play on the Xhosa word ikamva (“towards the future”), was unveiled by a consortium led by South African fleet management startup GoMetro at the Smarter Mobility Africa Summit in Johannesburg last week. Announced. It is expected to be commercially available in early 2025.
minibus service eKamva was specifically designed as a taxi vehicle. Regular train and bus services are relatively rare across Africa, so more or less unofficial minibus services are the standard mode of transportation for many Africans.
Every day, minibus taxis transport millions of people across Southern Africa. South Africa alone consumes 2 billion tonnes of fuel each year and emits an estimated 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually.
GoMetro partnered with Powerfleet (formerly MiX Telematics), ACDC Dynamics, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Engineering, and other companies to test the eKamva prototype on existing taxi routes.
Satisfied that the vehicle is performing well, the consortium will spend the next 12 months installing its unique charging solution, called FlxEV, at taxi ranks in Stellenbosch and Century City (Cape Town). It is planned to power minibuses.
Cruising range 200km eKamva has a range of over 200 km between charges and can be quickly charged within 75 minutes. This is less time than most minibuses sit idle during morning and evening rush hours, and it also allows for 10 hours of slow overnight charging.
South Africa’s National Taxi Council has already expressed interest in deploying the vehicle. GoMetro says there are several important benefits to using electric minibuses instead of petrol or diesel-powered minibuses.
Replacing urban taxis and shuttle buses with eKamvas will reduce annual CO2-equivalent emissions by 13.7 tons per vehicle. EVs not only reduce CO2, but also prevent other harmful emissions such as nitrous oxide (N2O), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM2.5 particles). EVs have fewer breakdowns and have a longer life expectancy than ICE vehicles, both factors increasing profitability. Of course, EVs are also cheaper to run, as petrol and diesel cost much more per kilometer than electricity. Operating cost savings compared to traditional internal combustion engine minibuses are estimated to be between 40% and 70%, considering that the typical South African commuter spends up to 40% of their income on transport. , the cost argument becomes decisive.
Tax 40%
There is one major obstacle on eKamva’s path to success. South Africa imposes a 40% ad valorem tax on electric minibuses, so GoMetro will sell the eKamva at a price of between R1.1 million and R1.2 million (€57,000). R650,000 to R750,000 (up to €62,500 instead of €33,500 to €39,000).
Unless the tax is abolished, GoMetro is offering other cost guarantees to future purchasers of electric minibuses. Batteries come with a minimum mileage guarantee, maintenance contract, and buyback agreement.
These guarantees on batteries, the most expensive component of electric vehicles, could persuade South African and international operators to switch to electric minibuses, ensuring they unlock the economic and environmental benefits of new powertrains. There is.
That’s exactly GoMetro’s intention, says CEO Justin Coetzee. “This is a new approach to electrifying the light vehicle public transport industry. We believe this will give rise to a completely new economic sector and will be of great socio-economic importance for the automotive sector.”
Image: FLXEV
