I recently took a drive down to Durban and stopped, as everyone does, at the Harrismith Engen. My attention was attracted by a charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) and it made me start wondering how things are going in South Africa EV-wise, so I thought I would investigate.
I still remember my first assignment when I started at Technews some years ago when I had to cover a Siemens launch where they had on show their gorgeous electric Porsche. Editors were offered the chance of driving it round the Kyalami racetrack, but to my huge disappointment the battery went flat just when it was my turn. I also remember the promise of the Joule around that time, which was going to be a locally manufactured EV. Sadly it didn’t make it because of a lack of financial support.
Internationally, EVs are well on their way. The International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook estimates that there were 10 million electric cars on the world’s roads in 2020; and all the big car brands have entered the South African market with EVs (although no Teslas yet). They have an eye-watering price tag but they are moving. Volvo opened its online order books for the XC40 Recharge in January, and the 25 allocated vehicles for South Africa were sold out in 24 hours. According to NAAMSA there were 6367 electric vehicles on South African roads at the end of 2020; and for the first half of 2022, a total of 2139 new electric vehicles have been sold compared to 896 during the whole of 2021.
At the moment, loadshedding and the price tag are stopping us from thinking about buying an EV. Charging and ‘range anxiety’ are also an issue. However recent EVs have a range of 400 km which is fine for everyday use. You charge at home, usually overnight, just as you would charge your cellphone. So Eskom outages can be accommodated. And if you are on a long journey a GridCars map will show you the charging stations every couple of hundred kilometres all along our major highways.
There are some advantages. EVs have one rotating part, a single-speed gearbox and no clutch, and they operate in silence with one-pedal driving. There is no torque convertor, no gearchanges, just linear power and acceleration. Regenerative braking recharges the batteries rather than dissipating the energy in brake heat. Maximum torque is at zero revs, so instant power is available from standstill and all through the speed range. The smooth driving experience cannot be matched by an internal combustion engine (ICE) car, however sophisticated and complex. The cost of charging is substantially less than filling up with petrol or diesel. Electric motors also run for more than a million kilometres with almost no maintenance due to their simplicity.
In comparison ICE cars have highly complex mechanics with thousands of rotating and reciprocating parts that result in pollutants, noise, heat, vibration and high maintenance costs. The cost of an EV is already comparable with a similar ICE over five years due to lower running costs and minimal maintenance. By 2025, EVs will be on purchase price parity with ICEs internationally as economies of scale kick in and they become cheaper. Improvements in battery life will also extend the distance that EVs can travel on a single charge.
According to the 2022 Greencape Electric Vehicles Market Intelligence Report highlighting investment opportunities in the local EV market, public transport is the best business case for manufacturing. Cape Town municipality has already experimented with e-buses, and the University of Stellenbosch has a research project, GoMetro to bring in electric minibus taxis. There is also an opportunity for EVs in underground and opencast mining. And Mercedes-Benz Vans is on track to introduce the first electric van.
South Africa has a world-class auto manufacturing industry, and nearly 80% of the cars manufactured here are exported to Europe. However the UK will be banning ICE cars from 2030, and the EU from 2035. So politics notwithstanding, there is an urgency to convert to EVs, which is echoed by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, who says that it is ‘absolutely critical’ that South Africa makes the shift towards EVs if the country is to have a large and growing auto sector.
Would I get one? Hell yes if I had the budget, how cool would that be. It would be perfect for everyday driving. For now I think EVs will be left to the early adopters, but new technology comes slowly and then quickly. My guess is that eventually we will all be driving EVs.
| Tel: | +27 11 543 5800 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.technews.co.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about Technews Publishing |
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version