The van boasts an estimated range of around 120 km and a top speed of 120 km/h.
Last week was a proverbial sh*tshow for the taxi sector and regular South Africans alike, as the Cape Town government wrestled with an. While we’ve all understandably been preoccupied with economic sustainability this side of the SA taxi conundrum, a handful of researchers have turned their big brains to another concern: ecological sustainability.
The decision to retrofit or convert a petrol or diesel minibus to an electric vehicle was driven by its cost-effectiveness compared to procuring new vehicles, as explained by Professor Thinus Booysen from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Stellenbosch University. Makes sense. Maybe decommissioned taxis could get a new lease on life this way in the future.
A remarkable feature of the recently-tested electric minibus is its capacity to harness energy generated during downhill motion or deceleration. Consequently, the van boasts an estimated range of around 120 km and a top speed of 120 km/h. Armed with a 90kW electric motor power and a 53.76kWh battery capacity, it checks all the boxes when it comes to load and driving requirements comparable to traditional internal combustion engine minibuses.
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