Brand-new electric minibus taxis have just been introduced to Century City’s busy public transport route just outside Cape Town, a development welcomed by industry players.

According to recent newspaper reports, two eKamva electric minibus taxis, as the vehicles are known will be introduced to the route. The eKamva is South Africa’s first electric minibus taxi and was developed by flx EV, a South African electric mobility company.

Justin Coetzee, founder and chief executive, said the eKamva electric minibus programme is a key step in decarbonising public transport in South Africa, with a focus on commercial viability through solar-powered charging and reliable fleet operations. “We have a robust pipeline for the coming year and are working closely with our partners to build local capacity,” said Coetzee.

His company builds the vehicles, charging infrastructure and fleet support needed to electrify the country’s minibus taxi industry.

Century City fast-charging hub

Coetzee explained that the eKamva platform is built on the Chinese automobile manufacturer Higer Bus Company’s Higer H5C, which features a 70-kWh battery and 50-kW DC (direct current) charging, specifically engineered for the demands of the taxi industry.

Duolun Technology, a global provider of integrated solar-storage-charging systems, and flx EV last week announced a partnership, naming Duolun as flx EV’s charging partner for the delivery of its first fast-charging hubs. The companies made the announcement at this year’s Africa E-Mobility Week held from 28 September to 30 September in Cape Town.

The partnership’s first project is already underway, a fast-charging hub at Century City — combining rooftop and carport solar generation, battery storage and liquid-cooled ultra-fast chargers.

“An electric taxi is only as good as the place it charges,” said Coetzee. “Duolun brings the integrated engineering this problem needs – solar, storage and fast charging designed to work as one system. Century City is where we prove that, on a real taxi rank, with real drivers.”

Expansion plans

Beyond Century City, the companies said they intend to build toward a much larger network over the next decade —  with an ambition, not yet a committed programme, to develop fast-charging infrastructure across roughly ten major South African urban centres, with about ten hubs planned in each over time.

The next sites under consideration are in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

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