A 2,225 km electric vehicle (EV) road trip across five South African provinces has helped highlight the country’s growing e-Mobility potential and charging infrastructure. The journey, from Johannesburg to Cape Town, saw five EVs arriving at the 2024 South African Auto Week, showcasing the ability to travel long-distances using EVs in South Africa.
The expedition, led by Hiten Parmar, Executive Director of The Electric Mission, included representatives from naamsa, KPMG, Accenture, First National Bank, and the British High Commission. The fleet featured the BMW iX, BYD Seal, Mercedes-Benz EQS, Volkswagen ID.4, and Volvo XC40, reflecting the constantly growing variety of EV models already available in South Africa. “Long-distance travel with electric cars is no longer the novelty it used to be,” said Parmar. “Every long-distance journey reinforces that the country is on track to support this new form of mobility.”
While the South African EV market is still at a relatively early stage, this journey has demonstrated the significant progress made over recent years. Since the first EV to enter the South African market back in 2013, there are now over 30 EV models available for local consumers, with most having been introduced within the last three years.
Charging Infrastructure is Available – But More is Needed
Though the road trip was a success, it also served to reveal the limitations of the current EV charging network. Charging points, although available along the route, often had only one unit per location, leading to delays when multiple vehicles needed to recharge. “Arriving at charge points with multiple cars simultaneously was an expected challenge,” Parmar noted. Despite these hurdles, all five EVs completed the trip, assisted by advanced technology like energy regeneration on downhill stretches, which added driving range and reduced the frequency of charging breaks.
E-Mobility Goes from Strength to Strength in South Africa
South Africa’s journey toward e-mobility mirrors the wider African context, where EV adoption is gradually gaining momentum despite barriers such as high vehicle costs, limited charging networks, and unreliable electricity grids. However, many African nations are developing dedicated e-Mobility policies and integrating a growing abundance of new and renewable energy availability into building robust charging networks, providing more sustainable solutions.
The road trip aligned with National Transport Month, where South Africa’s National Green Transport Strategy has focused on promoting EVs as key to reducing the 91.2% of road transport-related emissions. Since 2019, sales of fully electric vehicles in South Africa have outpaced those of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), again underlining the country’s shift toward cleaner transport.
Encouraging Wider EV Adoption in South Africa and Beyond
The road trip highlighted that EVs are no longer just for urban commuting in South Africa – they can handle long distance journeys across country. Parmar reflected, “Doing the trip in an electric car just adds a new dimension to the splendour of the quiet spaces.” As battery technology continues to improve, with many modern EVs now offering up to 600 km on a single charge, the switch to electric vehicles is becoming increasingly viable for South African drivers. With continued investment in infrastructure and policy support, e-Mobility in Africa is poised to develop and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
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