Audi South Africa, in partnership with Rubicon, has deployed an additional 43 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country, as part of the German car manufacturer’s second phase of the initiative.
This is on top of Audi’s 70 EV charging connection points installed nationwide, a year ago, as part of its R45 million investment in the latest charging technology over the past two years.
Last year, AudiSouth Africa announced the first phase of the project, run in partnership with charging systems manufacturer GridCars, to install ultra-fast charging stations across SA, billing itself as the first EV brand to invest in such technology locally.
According to a statement, these chargers can accommodate a total of 57 EV cars simultaneously, at varying capacities, regardless of model or brand ownership. The latest rollout includes the first DC 200kW ultra-fast charger in SA, which is installed at the Mall of Africa.
Audi says the solar photovoltaic system installed at the mall is one of the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
While the charging infrastructure is available to all vehicle models, the service is offered for a payment determined by the package selected.
The rest of the second phase of infrastructure investment comprises four 100kW direct current (DC), eight 60kW (DC), five 25kW (DC) and twenty-five 22kW alternating current fast EV charger installations at convenient locations across the country to serve all EV drivers locally.
“The rollout of our second phase of EV charging stations is the next step in realising our vision of sustainable mobility and living our mantra that the ‘future is an attitude’,” says Sascha Sauer, head of Audi South Africa.
“EVs are the future of mobility and we’re investing not just in hardware infrastructure, but in making electric mobility simpler and more widely available for South Africans, thus enabling the local EV market to grow. By fulfilling our promise from early 2022, we’re demonstrating our commitment to helping take SA into the future of mobility.”
According to the 2022 AutoTrader Mid-Year Industry Report, although there is demand for EVs from South African customers, the high prices and range anxiety due to a lack of charging infrastructure are among the biggest hurdles to increased adoption.
The commissioning of the first and second phase of charging infrastructure means Audi and partners GridCars and Rubicon have installed a total of 76 fast and ultra-fast EV chargers across SA, representing about 28% of public charging stations in the country.
According to charging infrastructure mapping website PlugShare, the local public charging network currently consists of 320 charging stations.
The partnership between Audi, GridCars and Rubicon includes a roaming agreement, which allows billing cards to be interoperable across the two networks, making charging seamless and accessible for Audi e-tron customers and users of other EV brands, saysAudi.
Greg Blandford, director of Rubicon energy and e-mobility, adds that as public interest in EVs grows, so will the drive to integrate charging infrastructure, renewable energy and energy storage systems.
“Rubicon is committed to the advancement of renewable energy and deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in SA.
“The global adoption of artificial intelligence, smart devices, greener technologies and carbon reduction initiatives has highlighted and accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles.
“Local availability of more and more EVs, coupled with the increase in fossil fuel costs, will be a major catalyst for EV adoption in South Africa,” he points out.
Audi says its network of charging infrastructure capitalises on solar installations, where possible, to keep the charging stations optimally operational.
“With a range between 350km and 480km, the Audi e-tron models typically do not require a charge every day, so depending on driving style and daily commuting distances, owners will be able to find their nearest charging station and charge their vehicles regularly, with ease.”
In 2018, Jaguar Land Rover partnered with GridCars on a multimillion-rand project to build public charging stations across SA's frequently-travelled highways. The project has seen the two firms add more charging infrastructure over the past few years.
Share