A new report finds that a transition from diesel to battery-powered electric buses in South Africa's main cities can be justified purely on a financial basis, in most circumstances.️

While the capital cost of an electric bus (e-bus) is currently a lot steeper than that of a diesel bus - owing in part to South Africa's lagging electric vehicle manufacturing scene - a recent study found that because operating costs are much lower over an e-bus's lifetime, the total cost of owning e-buses is lower than that of diesel buses.

These findings were published by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group in a recent report, Accelerating a Market Transition in South Africa: Insights into the Bus Industry and Emerging Electric Bus Models, which justified five South African cities moving to battery-powered e-buses purely on a financial basis.

C40 Cities is a global network of nearly 100 mayors from cities across the world that have committed to confront the climate crisis and accelerate a shift.

This report focuses on the five South African cities that are members of C40 - Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Cape Town and eThekwini.

Total cost is lower

Currently in South Africa, diesel buses have the most competitive capital costs compared with other bus technologies - nearly half the price of buying an e-bus today.

A standard 12m commuter (Euro VI) diesel bus costs between...