EVs are here to stay, here’s what you need to know about charging them in South Africa.

  • There are at least seven manufacturers in South Africa who are selling electric vehicles (EVs).
  • GridCars says Eskom has the capacity to handle the influx of EVs.
  • South Africa’s ratio of public chargers to EVs is higher than the global average.

It’s been a slow journey since the now discontinued electric Nissan Leaf arrived in South Africa in 2013. Fast forward to 2022 and you can purchase an EV from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Jaguar, Porsche, and Volvo.

Despite being around for more than eight years, EVs are still in infancy stages. Plus, South Africa has unique challenges in the form of rolling blackouts, which is a common concern for potential buyers, right up there with high costs as a result of import duties.

GridCars, which has rolled out more than 300 public charge points across the country, says Eskom has the capacity to handle the energy needed for the influx of EVs expected in 2022.

“EVs do not use that much energy; in fact they are up to five times more efficient than petrol cars therefore even a rapid growth of an EV fleet will be manageable,” says Winstone Jordaan, managing director at GridCars.

Continue reading here: https://www.businessinsider.co.za/evs-are-here-to-stay-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-charging-them-in-south-africa-2022-5