Golden Arrow Buys 120 Electric Buses for Local Public Transport As Diesel Prices Sore
- Golden Arrow bus company has signed an order for 120 electric buses from a Chinese company, BYD
- This is a historic step towards establishing the first electric bus fleet in South Africa
- The cost of diesel continues to rise, with a litre of diesel costing R20.91 inland and R20.15 at the coast
CAPE TOWN — Golden Arrow Bus Services has ordered 120 electric buses, a historic event for green energy in South Africa.
Source: Facebook
About the buses
Each bus is 12.5m in length and seats 65 people. A BYD bus has 65 seats and uses lithium-iron-phosphate batteries.
In outlining the electrification process, Gideon Neethling, Golden Arrow’s company engineer, shared this with IOL:
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“We are intensively preparing our workforce and infrastructure to operate a system with complex requirements, and this will involve many exciting future partnerships.
“As a company with such a rich history, we are proud to be the first to bring electric buses to South Africa’s public transport space,” Golden Arrow CEO Francois Meyer said to mybroadband.
Renewable energy journey
In a media release, Golden Arrows Bus Services detailed its history of using alternative energy and stated that electric buses have been planned and tested for many years.
| 2017 | The pilot installation of two solar plants of 25kWp each |
| 2020 | Increased solar capacity, which resulted in carbon-neutral electricity status |
| 2020 | Golden Arrow partners with BYD to test two 100%electric buses for 12 months |
| 2021 | Two BYD electric buses are officially introduced into service – a first for South Africa |
| 2022 | Purchase of third BYD bus, B12 65-seater Golden Arrow |
| 2023 | The fourth test bus was introduced, and approximately 200 000km of road testing were completed. |
| 2024 | Electric buses will start to be delivered in December this year and complete the order by December 2025. |
Manufacturer of the buses
BYD is a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer. The electric buses underwent a lengthy test period in South Africa, starting in 2021. BYD’s website states that it is established in over 70 countries. BYD has delivered more than 80 000 electric buses to markets around the world
New Volvo electric car for Lasizwe Dambuza
In related news, Briefly News reported that Lasizwe Dambuza recently had a joyous moment to share on social media, celebrating with his brother, Lungile Mcunu. The media star posted a video flaunting his impressive new Volvo, complete with state-of-the-art features. Lasizwe’s followers were thrilled as he proudly displayed his advanced vehicle.
Briefly News journalist Privie Kandi interviewed Volvo SA, which highlighted the remarkable features of the new electric Volvo that Lasizwe showcased.
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Source: Briefly News
