German automotive manufacturer, Audi, has announced that it has invested R45 million over the past two years into car charging technologies in South Africa.
Audi together with its partners will be making this possible. According to reports, the investments include the first DC 200kW charger with solar power back-up and 76 fast and ultra-fast EV chargers across South Africa.
With the latest addition of chargers, the total number of DC and AC charging connectors contributed by Audi now stands at 127. The chargers can accommodate a total of 57 EV cars simultaneously, at varying capacities, regardless of model or brand ownership.
Audi’s Main Aim
Giving more explanation on the rollout, Head of Audi South Africa, Sascha Sauer, said making electric mobility simpler and more widely available for south Africans will enable the local EV market to grow.
“EVs are the future of mobility and we’re investing not just in hardware infrastructure. By fulfilling our promise from early 2022, we’re demonstrating our commitment to helping take SA into the future of mobility,” she said.
This partnership between Audi, GridCars and Rubicon allows billing cards to be interoperable across the two networks to make charging easier for Audi customers and users of other EV brands.
Despite the economic issues, Audi made assurances that its charging stations will not be affected by rolling blackouts through use of alternative sources of energy.
Sauer also noted that, while load-shedding is a reality to South Africans, it is worth pointing out that Audi’s charging network also capitalises on solar installations. It is done to keep the charging stations optimally operational.
Conclusion
No matter the challenges and hefty price tags for electric vehicles in the country, South Africans love them so much. To prove this, in 2022, Volvo opened its online order books for the XC40 P6 Recharge, the 25 allocated vehicles for south Africa were sold out in just 24 hours. That is huge!
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