De Lille refutes report that electric buses don't work uphill

According to the Sunday Times, councillors were told that the buses are required to be able to achieve 60km/h on a 4% gradient, and that tests were under way to increase the power to drive motors. The buses were set to tackle a number of hill areas, including Hospital Bend, which has a gradient of 6.5%. Photo: African News Agency (ANA) Archives

According to the Sunday Times, councillors were told that the buses are required to be able to achieve 60km/h on a 4% gradient, and that tests were under way to increase the power to drive motors. The buses were set to tackle a number of hill areas, including Hospital Bend, which has a gradient of 6.5%. Photo: African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Published Aug 14, 2018

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Multiple tests confirm electric buses meet the City’s expectations on all route profiles – be it downhill or uphill.

This was stated by the City on Tuesday, as “contrary to misleading reports, the electric buses will be able to service various routes, including hilly routes in the city”.

Mayor Patricia de Lille has taken issue with a “grossly inaccurate story about the specification testing of the buses”, which the Sunday Times published at the weekend.

According to the Sunday Times, councillors heard last week that the 11 buses – which form part of a R128 million pilot project – could not handle many of the inclines in the city. The councillors were told that the buses are required to be able to achieve 60km/h on a 4% gradient, and that tests were under way to increase the power to drive motors.

Originally slated to replace the current diesel options on the N2 Express route, the buses were set to tackle a number of hill-areas – including Hospital Bend, which has a gradient of 6.5%.

The Sunday Times noted that the mechanical problem with the buses – manufactured by BYD of China – follows a forensic probe after allegations that De Lille and senior city officials set up meetings with BYD before the company clinched the deal.

Regarding the testing of the buses, Acting Commissioner: Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) Gershwin Fortune said: “Multiple tests and inspections were undertaken over the past eight months as part of the overall acceptance testing of the electric buses. Three tests were conducted on the electric buses since October 2017 with regard to the performance on grades (hills).”

Commenting on last month’s testing period, Fortune said: “All of the electric buses are fitted with a telematics system that is specifically designed for electric buses. The system is provided by an independent company, ViriCiti, which is based in the Netherlands. The system tracks the bus and its performance.

 

“A test run was carried out on 4 July, 2018 when one of the electric buses was tested along Hospital Bend. The telematics system report confirmed that the bus reached an average speed of 67.8 km/h from Settler’s Way to the top of Hospital Bend, where the average sustained climb was greater than 4% and greater than 6% along some sections. 

 

De Lille said: “We would like to provide the media with the latest update and facts on the electric buses which the City is in the process of procuring. As the City’s leadership, we would like to correct this and provide the media with the latest update and facts to avoid the practice of spreading misinformation.

 

“Before we get into the facts of the specification tests, I would like to address the dangerous practice of reporting allegations as fact and not seeking comment from the relevant person which the allegation is linked to.

 

“The article refers to a meeting agenda for a visit to Cape Town by BYD, the successful bidder for the electric buses. The article stated that this meeting was between BYD representatives and myself to discuss ‘detailed finalisation of specifications’, to ‘finalise and conclude a business agreement’ and for ‘confirmation of roll-out times’.

 

“As always, I would like to see evidence of this. My office was certainly not contacted to confirm if such a meeting took place and whether this was a factual agenda that was being referred to in the story. I was never part of any meeting with BYD to discuss any tender specifications as I am never involved in any part of any tender process.

 

“With reference to all statements related to me in this article, I will be reporting this to the Press Ombudsman as I was never contacted for comment on the aspects of the story which mention me.

 

“I have already lodged a complaint against the same media house for reporting allegations and not contacting me for comment relating to another issue. The Press Ombudsman found against the journalist and the media house who were ordered to apologise for incorrect and imbalanced reporting.”

 

‘“With regard to the Bowmans investigation into the electric buses tender, I have welcomed this investigation and I have co-operated with it and eagerly await the outcome of their probe.

 

“The story this past Sunday also quotes the deputy mayor saying that the report by Bowmans is delayed. I have written to Bowmans to ask them to confirm whether or not they have told the deputy mayor that the report is delayed and whether there is a date yet for the release of the report.”

Fortune added on the testing of buses: "The bus performance was also tested on Kloof Nek Road and along Geneva Drive in Camps Bay, where satisfactory speeds were retained within traffic. As stated above, this information is provided by an independent monitoring system supplied by ViriCiti. 

"All 11 buses are fitted with the system for the purpose of monitoring the performance of each bus. The information received from this system will be used for the purpose of the pilot study. 

"This will enable the City to measure and track the performance of the electric buses on different routes, and to compare this information with the performance of our current fleet of diesel buses. This information will inform future decisions on fleet procurement. 

"For example, the system monitors energy consumption (how much power the bus uses per kilometre), the percentage of battery use, distance travelled, average speed, energy used, energy recovered, and the energy consumption in service.

"A comprehensive reporting system reports on driver behaviour and the condition of the battery packs, and there is fault reporting that serves as an early warning system. Each bus is fitted with two battery packs of 1.5 tons each. One is fitted on the roof, and the other at the rear. 

"A fully charged battery must provide sufficient power to enable a bus to reach a minimum distance of 200km before recharging. The maximum time it will take to fully charge the battery packs is five hours."

City manager Lungelo Mbandazayo said: "‘We can only take delivery of the buses on conclusion of the current ongoing investigation, and pending the outcome thereof. The investigation is expected to be finalised before the end of the year."

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