What the study found
Home charging reduced depot congestion and helped preserve service quality, while constrained depot charging led to longer passenger waits and fewer trips being served, especially at high electric vehicle penetration.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that electric minibus taxis may be deployed in Stellenbosch’s paratransit system without fundamental operational restructuring, provided charging infrastructure and charging management are aligned with service and grid constraints.
What the researchers tested
The researchers developed a modular agent-based simulation framework for electric minibus taxis. The model explicitly represented driver route, stopping, idling, and charging decisions using discrete choice and opportunity-cost concepts, and it was calibrated and validated with empirical GPS-based operating data from Stellenbosch, South Africa.
What worked and what didn't
Home charging consistently reduced depot queues and supported service quality, even at high adoption levels. Increasing connector power improved outcomes, but the gains became limited beyond 22 kW per connector. Depot-only charging concentrated load during operating hours, while home charging shifted demand to evening residential peaks; emissions reductions were possible, but their size depended strongly on grid carbon intensity.
What to keep in mind
The available summary does not describe detailed limitations beyond the stated scenario scope. The results were tested in scenarios for Stellenbosch, South Africa, so the findings are specific to that calibrated case study and the adoption, charging, and grid conditions examined.
Key points
- A modular agent-based model was used to simulate electric minibus taxi operations in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
- Constrained depot charging was associated with longer passenger waits and fewer trips served, especially at high electric vehicle penetration.
- Home charging reduced depot congestion and helped maintain service quality.
- Charging power helped, but benefits were limited beyond 22 kW per connector in this case study.
- Charging strategy changed when electricity demand appeared on the grid: depot-only charging created operating-hour load, while home charging shifted load to evening peaks.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Home charging eases electric minibus taxi service pressures
- Authors:
- J.T. Sello, MJ BOOYSEN
- Institutions:
- Stellenbosch University, Uganda Christian University
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-02
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with peer-reviewed research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.