Cape-based company Zero Carbon Charge says it is investing R11.4bn in the rollout of solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the Eastern Cape, starting in the first quarter of 2025.
It forms part of a venture, at an initially reported R1.8bn investment, that aims to have 120 off-grid stations nationally for charging electric passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The big jump in the investment figure is due to the development of an additional 120 electric truck charging stations, says the company.
The stations are claimed to charge an EV in about 25 minutes and the project aims to serve the future EV charging needs of the largely underserved subsegment of travel outside urban areas, adding to SA’s growing charging network which already has several hundred public sites with GridCars and Rubicon the major players.
At the Wagon Wheel Farm Stall on the N6 outside East London on Tuesday, Zero Carbon Charge, in partnership with the Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern Cape (AIDC-EC) and the Eastern Cape provincial government, broke ground on the province’s first off-grid, ultra-fast electric vehicle charging network to be located along the N10, N6, R56, N9 and N2.
It marks a significant milestone in SA’s efforts towards building a sustainable transport network that contributes to climate emission reduction, says Zero Carbon Charge, adding that the charging sites will be independent of Eskom’s predominantly coal-powered grid, which means they will be green and load-shedding-proof.
The network in the Eastern Cape will consist of 29 sites, 18 for electric passenger and light commercial vehicles, and 11 for off-grid electric trucks. The development will be completed on a route-by-route basis, similar to the launch of the N3 Electric Highway planned between Johannesburg and Durban.
Joubert Roux, executive chair of Zero Carbon Charge, believes demand for charging infrastructure will grow, with estimates that there will be about 120,000 electric vehicles on SA’s roads by 2027 and 360,000 by 2030. This is despite only 931 EVs being sold in SA in 2023.
“This initiative not only accelerates the shift to green transport, but also opens up significant economic opportunities,” he says.
“By promoting local manufacturing of electric vehicles and advancing domestic battery technology, SA can create an entirely new automotive sector, building on its strong existing industry. This shift will enhance economic growth and position the country as a leader in sustainable mobility innovation.
“This project is a large-scale, national carbon emission reduction initiative that can contribute towards our country’s carbon emissions reduction targets. We estimate that if we fully migrate the vehicle fleet currently registered on government’s e-Natis system to electric vehicles charged with solar power, we could reduce the country’s carbon emissions by over 97-million tonnes of CO2 per year.”
He says that to achieve this, the country needs a regulatory environment that supports the development of an off-grid charging network.
“We are grateful for the support from the Eastern Cape government in streamlining current application processes, which has allowed us to start breaking ground on the 29 planned charging stations across the province,” he adds.
AIDC-EC CEO Thabo Shenxane says it is a big step forward for the province. “This is a significant step forward for the Eastern Cape, not only in terms of technological advancement but also in positioning the province as a hub for sustainable transport solutions.”
The development will create 3,260 employment opportunities, says Zero Carbon Charge, adding that landowners on whose land the charging stations will be built will earn 5% of the revenue generated from electric passenger vehicles and trucks charging at the facilities.
Eastern Cape MEC for economic development, environmental affairs & tourism, Nonkqubela Pieters, says of the project: “This initiative will not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also create significant economic opportunities for the province, especially in rural communities.”
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