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The University of Johannesburg has established the Centre for Automotive and Electric Vehicle Innovation (CAEVI) to drive practical EV implementation across South Africa. Hosted within the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, CAEVI combines engineering, artificial intelligence, battery science, policy research and community development to support the shift from internal combustion engines to electric mobility. Dr Samuel Gqibani, Head of the School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and Director of CAEVI, emphasised the need for locally developed solutions, skills and an affordable, inclusive mobility system.

Why it matters: A university-led centre integrating battery science, AI and policy work signals potential for South African procurement frameworks and technical standards to evolve with local research input. For CPOs and suppliers eyeing the South African market, CAEVI may shape future grid integration requirements, charging infrastructure specifications and workforce training pipelines.

Cape Town will receive its first electric bus in August 2025, followed by 13 more units between October and December, as part of a 30 bus rollout scheduled for completion by June 2027. The 12 metre Volvo BZRLE buses will feature locally manufactured bodies from Johannesburg and serve MyCiTi routes in the metro south east, including Phase 2A expansion corridors. A 12 month pilot study with the University of Cape Town, funded by the municipality and the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative, will assess battery durability, charging times and energy consumption to inform driver training, maintenance protocols and system integration ahead of the 2027 scale up.

Why it matters: The phased rollout offers South African bus operators and charging infrastructure providers a clear timeline for planning depot electrification and maintenance capacity, while the pilot study will generate local performance data on route conditions and climate impacts. International benchmarks cited by the city suggest operational and maintenance cost reductions of up to 70%, a figure that could shape business cases for electric bus procurement across other South African metros.