The City of Cape Town is set to receive its first Volvo electric bus in August 2026, marking the start of a phased introduction of battery-powered vehicles into its public transport system.
A further 13 electric buses are scheduled for delivery between October and December 2026. In total, 30 vehicles are expected to be delivered by June 2027 as part of efforts to expand the MyCiTi Bus Service fleet.
The electric buses will be deployed along routes in the metro south-east, including services planned under Phase 2A of the MyCiTi expansion. The vehicles are 12-metre Volvo BZRLE Electric Bus models, with bodywork manufactured locally in Johannesburg.
Councillor Rob Quintas on the City’s Mayoral Committee for Urban Mobility, said:The delivery of the electric bus fleet cannot be more timeous, given the volatility of the energy markets and uncertain geopolitical environment. Apart from lowering our carbon emissions, an electric bus fleet could offer multiple other benefits, especially as far as maintenance and operational costs are concerned. Some countries operating e-buses have noted a reduction of up to 70% in operating costs and we will be conducting research soon to determine what type of savings Cape Town can look forward to.
The research will help us understand how the electric buses will perform in our local context, and what challenges we need to consider before we roll-out the e-bus fleet in 2027. This information will assist us with planning and preparations, such as the training of the bus drivers, maintenance requirements, passenger loads, fault reporting, and so forth.
The City is working with the University of Cape Town to study how the buses perform under local conditions. The research is supported by municipal funding and a grant from the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative.
Testing will take place over approximately 12 months on existing routes. Areas of focus include battery performance, charging times, the effect of passenger loads and route conditions, and operational reliability.
If the programme proceeds as scheduled, the first electric buses are expected to enter service from 1 July 2027, operating between Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha, Wynberg and Claremont, as well as within the central business district.
