Cape Town’s commuters are in for a treat as Golden Arrow Bus Services gears up for a major green transformation. The company has just inked a historic deal with BYD for 120 electric buses.
This marks a massive leap towards sustainable public transport in South Africa.
After four years of putting electric buses through their paces, Golden Arrow’s finally ready to go big.
Electric buses for an eco-friendly Cape Town
Golden Arrow Bus Services ordered 120 BYD B12 buses, set to hit the streets from late 2024.
By December 2025, all these eco-friendly vehicles should be up and running, ferrying Capetonians around in style.
Golden Arrow Bus Services and Frontier Transport Holdings’ Chief Executive Officer, Francois Meyer, says this is a game-changer. “This bulk order confirms our commitment to renewable energy,” he says.
He says it will also provide the bus service “with the larger scale operational data to pave the way towards full fleet electrification,
But going electric isn’t as simple as swapping out engines.
Golden Arrow engineer Gideon Neethling and his team have been burning the midnight oil to make sure they’re ready for this electric revolution.
“We are intensively preparing our workforce and infrastructure to operate a system with complex requirements, and this will involve many exciting future partnerships.”
Golden Arrow: A green journey
This electric bus order isn’t Golden Arrow’s first rodeo with green tech. They’ve been on this eco-friendly path for a while now:
- 2017: They dipped their toes in the solar pool, setting up two 25kWp plants.
- 2020: They went big on solar, ramping up to 2,000kWp. This green boost made two of their facilities carbon neutral on the electricity front. Pretty nifty!
- 2020-2021: Golden Arrow teamed up with BYD and uYilo to test-drive two fully electric buses for a year. These electric pioneers hit the roads in 2021, marking a first for South Africa.
- 2022-2023: They kept the momentum going, adding two more test buses to their fleet. By 2023, these electric trailblazers had clocked up about 200,000km. That’s like going around the Earth five times!
- 2024: And now, the big one – 120 BYD electric buses on order, set to roll out from late 2024 to late 2025.
What’s the big deal?
You might be wondering why this is such a big deal.
Well, it’s not just about swapping diesel for electricity. These electric buses are set to shake things up in a big way:
- Cleaner air: Electric buses don’t spew out nasty fumes, which means cleaner air for everyone in Cape Town.
- Quieter streets: Electric buses are much quieter than their diesel counterparts. Imagine a city with less noise pollution!
- Cost savings: While the upfront cost is hefty, electric buses are cheaper to run and maintain in the long run.
- Tech showcase: These buses are packed with cutting-edge tech, potentially making commutes smoother and more efficient.
- Job creation: As Golden Arrow gears up for this electric future, they’ll need folks trained in new skills, potentially creating job opportunities.
What’s next for Golden Arrow?
Golden Arrow’s not stopping at 120 buses. This order is just the beginning, a test bed for full fleet electrification.
They’re prepping their workforce and infrastructure for this electric future, which means we might see even more green buses on Cape Town’s streets in the years to come.
It’s not just about buses either. Golden Arrow’s push towards renewables and electrification could inspire other companies and cities to follow suit.
We might be looking at the start of a green transport revolution in South Africa.
