Introducing more electric cars could lessen Pretoria’s daily carbon emissions which would require around 1 580 trees to be planted daily in Pretoria to offset the environmental impact.
This was according to Ivan Reutener, smart mobility and intelligent transport specialist at Royal Haskoning DHV.
“The daily commute of approximately 200 000 people living in or around Tshwane emits approximately 790 tonnes of CO2, on a one-way trip, into the city’s atmosphere.
“It’s unlikely South Africans will be convinced to travel less, but a shift towards electric vehicles (EV) could help curb air pollution and reduce road congestion,” said Reutener.
Royal Haskoning DHV reports “converting the Tshwane fleet to EVs and eventually roll out to include public transport and taxis will enable the metro to meet targets to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.
They believe this will help with the city’s climate response strategy which is to reduce emissions and improve air quality.
“If there was a mass shift to electric vehicles (EVs), the public and private sectors could work together to make it easier to move around the city, while radically reducing tailpipe emissions, enhancing quality of life, and boosting the economy.
“However, there are a few policies, technology and business obstacles that South Africa would first need to overcome in the shift to smart mobility,” said Reutener.
The company also suggests that the country focuses on making electronic vehicles for the general public more affordable. They believe this can be achieved through incentives, subsidies and reduced import tax.
“To encourage EV adoption in South Africa, the government may need to reconsider its high import tax structure. Tax on an imported ICE vehicle is currently levied at 18%. For an EV, it’s 25% plus an additional 15% luxury tax,” said Reutener.
The company also proposed converting public transport fleet into electronic vehicles, incentivising the taxi industry to convert to EVs and to establishing and encouraging electric car sharing schemes.
They believe this will be essential in achieving a greener Tshwane.
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