Possibility of electric car manufactoring in South Africa with Hungarian cooperation

Possibility of electric car manufactoring in South Africa with Hungarian cooperation
Rather vague news snippet about possible Hungarian co-operation in manufacturing BYD electric vehicles in South Africa. Whether this is in anyway connected to the Cape Town BYD electric bus deal, I don't know?

The emergence of Blue Congo electric vehicles in Pointe Noire [Business Africa]

The emergence of Blue Congo electric vehicles in Pointe Noire [Business Africa] 

 

2Life EV & NEV Manufacturers

2Life EV & NEV Manufacturers
2Life Shuttles are a Pretoria firm headed by Adriaan Kruger who supply NEV's (neighbourhood electric vehicles). Their vehicles range from a 2 seat runaround to a 14 seat bus. On their web site they explain how their vehicles fit in to the transport system.

We bring you electric vehicles that are the middle of the road between your traditional golf cart on the one side and your luxury sedan car on the other side. They are often just referred to as Electric Vehicles EV or more commonly nowadays as Neighbourhood Electric Vehicles or NEV. Our Electric cars and Electric shuttles are more advanced in design with a wider wheel base and therefore more stable and thus much safer to drive. As a means of transport on the short haul or for transporting staff and or clients the risk for injury and thus possible liability claims are nullified.

They have a product page with details of the various vehicles they offer.  They are also producing off-road versions of their electric vehicles with one of the intended markets being for game viewing. I reported earlier this month on how Sharmwari Private Game Reserve and Chobe national park in Botswana are already using electric vehicles for game viewing. The 2Life web site expound the benefits of using electric vehicles for this purpose.

We have therefore developed an off road version of our standard 4 seat model electric car. Other models will follow suit when the demand is there. We will also be looking at the 4 X 4 option in the near future for those that have a preference and taste for that. These Electric cars however are the ideal vehicles for game viewing at lodges as they are quiet and non obtrusive, apart from being eco friendly vehicles.It is also ideal for patrols on the perimeter of security estates.

2Life can be contacted at +27 (0)123615924 or via the form on their contact page.

South Africa: 'No Time for Trial and Error' As Cape Town's Mayor Leads Green Push

South Africa: 'No Time for Trial and Error' As Cape Town's Mayor Leads Green Push
In January I wrote about Cape Town acquiring ten electric buses that are due to go into service in the city later this year. This will be the first electric bus service in South Africa.

Not only is the city going to be using emission free public transport, they are also implementing many other clean energy projects.

Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille emphasizes some of the advantages of the forthcoming electric bus service in the city.

"They're going to save us a lot of money. Our maintenance budget will be cut by 60 percent, as they're very easy to maintain. And to recharge the batteries we're also going to use solar energy."

As with all electric vehicles, not only are they cheaper to power than an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicle, they require much less maintenance as there are far less moving parts and they require no change of oil or filters like an ICE vehicle. Even if they were to use electricity off the grid they'd be spending a lot less than they presently do on diesel, but if they are directly using solar energy to charge the batteries than that's even better. Everyone who uses public transport would like it to be cheaper and this is a step in the right direction of making that a reality.

Georgia company wins $4.4M DOE contract to develop electric school bus

Georgia company wins $4.4M DOE contract to develop electric school bus
Atlanta Business Chronicle report that the US Department of Energy have awarded Blue Bird Corp. a $4.4 million federal grant to develop an electric school bus.

The U.S. Department of Energy has asked the 90-year-old bus manufacturer located in Fort Valley, Ga., to create an affordable zero-emissions bus for use by school districts........Its vehicles are sold in more than 60 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.

As can be seen by the Blue Bird Corporation Wikipedia entry, the company has a long history and manufacturers the iconic yellow American school buses. They also export to Africa among other places. 

Cities go green with charging stations

Cities go green with charging stations 
This article from The Kingsburg Recorder is not directly related to South Africa or Africa. It does however report on the electric vehicle solar charging stations which have recently been installed in Kingsburg and Selma.

“It’s very progressive and cutting edge,” said Moses Stites, general manager of the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency. “Since they’re solar, they don’t work off the grid and they don’t cost a dime for anybody.”

I think this is very relevant to Africa and developing countries everywhere. As I've mentioned a couple of times before in this blog, solar charging points are going to electrify transport in Africa and get the whole continent mobile.

Because solar charging stations work off the grid, it's possible to put them in the most remote parts of the African continent, far away from existing electricity grids and in places that are inaccessible or not practical for petrol tankers to get to. I'm sure that at the moment, on the continent there are many places where it is necessary to take along your own supply of fuel to ensure you make it from one refueling point to the next.

There are places where there are no petrol stations as there is not enough traffic to make it economically viable. A solar charging station will be much cheaper to build or set up than a petrol station, there's no need to dig big holes to place the fuel tanks and no plumbing and minimal wiring. All that is necessary is solar panels, a battery to store any excess electricity that is produced and a charging plug or two. A solar charging station will require a lot less attention and maintenance. It won't require tankers to come to fill up the fuel tanks and there's not much in the way of mechanical equipment that can go wrong. The most that will probably need to be done is the solar panels will need fairly regular cleaning to maximise their efficiency.

Solar charging points will bring cheap motorised transportation to all of the continent. They could charge private vehicles as well as commercial trucks and buses, bringing a whole new level of commerce and prosperity to far flung places. Farmers who still depend on human and animal power will be able to solar charge tractors and other machinery, increasing their productivity which in turn will help alleviate shortage of food and hunger in areas where this is still a problem.

Children who at the moment live too far from a school or are not able to afford transport to get to school, will be able to travel to school and back on a rechargeable bus, negating expensive fuel costs.

Solar power will bring many benefits to Africa, I feel powering mobility will be the biggest one.

Cape Town to acquire ten electric buses in R126m deal

Cape Town to acquire ten electric buses in R126m deal
Another article about the electric buses the city of Cape Town are buying, a bit more in depth this time, from Creamer Media Engineering News. 

It appears to be a well thought out purchase, not only providing Cape Town with cleaner and greener public transport but also providing new jobs, assembling and maintaining the buses and associated infrastructure as well as many other benefits detailed in the article.

“The operational cost of electric buses is reported to be significantly lower – not only in terms of fuel, but also in relation to maintenance, as there are fewer engine parts to service.....