THE Western Cape’s Mobility Department is determined to forge strong partnerships with academic institutions as it starts the transition of its vehicle fleet from internal combustion engine (ICE) to new energy vehicles (NEV) and moves to decrease the overall carbon footprint of transport in the province.
The department will, this year, sign an agreement between the province and local universities through which the province will pledge a total of some R10 million to enable the academic institutions to conduct research solutions towards green mobility.
The Western Cape-based universities all have research programmes under way which are looking at various aspects relating to new energy vehicles.
“We want to really encourage research into this area by academic institutions in the Western Cape,” said Yasir Ahmed, the acting head of the Mobility department. “The grant will be made available for research that will benefit all of us. We want to see technological and other skills developed in this sector by our own universities. We want to grow skills and technology that could be spinoffs for further job creation in the province.”
He added that “the department of Mobility is determined to encourage innovation and localisation to ensure we reach our vision with as much as possible being driven by the Western Cape, South Africa and Africa.”
“We don’t’ want to import technology; we want it to be homegrown. We want to use the thinkers of South Africa. We want to ensure that the future of green mobility is inclusive and economically sound.”
He added: “We don’t want South Africa to become the dumping ground of old technology. We want to be at the forefront of research, innovation, and production of what is needed in the new space, investing in our youth, in our own government departments and reskilling on what green mobility would look like in our province.”
Ahmed cited some of the work already being done at the province’s campuses in relation to green mobility.
“For example, UWC, in its chemistry department, is doing research into battery technology – and we want to try and encourage that kind of research here in the Western Cape.
“SU is looking at a project to convert an internal combustion engine minibus into an electric minibus. As a department, we would obviously want to keep tabs on that development because if we can introduce new energy vehicles as minibuses into the public transport fleet, to add to the pilot initiative by Golden Arrow Bus Services to test electric buses in their operations, that would make a massive contribution towards reducing our carbon emissions.”
He added that the department is also very interested in encouraging research into battery technology, including battery repurposing.
“For example, when a battery that’s used in an electric or hybrid vehicle has reached the end of its useful life as a battery in the vehicle, there is still life left in it for repurposing to, for example, power into solar panels and to provide electricity at a day care centre for example or an ECD centre. That’s the kind of repurposing that our strategy speaks about, and which we want to collaborate with our universities on.”
Ahmed said the upskilling of the province’s youth is vital to the department as it moves into its green transition.
“The Western Cape, of course, is committed to growth for jobs and one of the sectors that offers opportunities for growth is the sector for renewable energy and for new energy vehicles. We want to ensure that the Western Cape is best positioned to be able to benefit from jobs that could potentially be created in this new and exciting sector.”
