The flagship solar-powered electric vehicle charging station by South Africa’s Zero Carbon Charge, initiated in Wolmaransstad, is set to be completed by June 2024. This update comes following the company’s November 2023 announcement of its plan to launch charging stations across the country, powered entirely by renewable energy.
The aforementioned flagship, which is South Africa’s first completely off-grid electric vehicle charging station, is part of a national network incorporating 120 solar-powered charging facilities. each spaced 150 kilometres apart. Zero Carbon Charge’s goal is to have this entire network up and functioning by September 2025.
The move to off-grid stations allows electric vehicle drivers to overcome the issues connected to South Africa’s inconsistent power supply. The country has been grappling with power outages for years, with a significant peak in 2023.
State-owned electricity supplier Eskom has been enabling these outages in order to prevent the power grid from collapsing due to escalating power demands.
An off-grid electric vehicle charging station, however, is autonomous from the power grid and can operate on various energy sources. This includes solar panels, generators, and battery storage systems.
Founders Andries Malherbe and Joubert Roux established Zero Carbon Charge, a contractor of electric vehicle charging stations, in Vredendal, South Africa.
By installing solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations, Zero Carbon Charge seeks to reduce the load shedding currently impacting Eskom’s grid, and to encourage a decrease in the use of coal as a primary energy source.
The company claims that each of its charging stations can fully power an electric vehicle in roughly 20 minutes, a significant improvement on the 4 hour charge time at an average on-grid station.
In addition to the charging facility, each station site will feature a farmstall where EV drivers can purchase refreshments while they wait for their vehicles to charge. This addition will also provide a rest stop for drivers of non-electric vehicles.
The charging stations will be powered by a sizeable solar plant, housing several solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. These panels store energy in lithium iron phosphate batteries or, alternatively, utilize hydrotreated vegetable oil generators as backup, which reportedly emit around 90% less carbon than diesel fuels.
Reportedly, Zero Carbon Charge has acquired land across the Northern and Western Cape, offering landowners a 5% share in the revenue derived from each charging point. As part of its second phase rollout, the company plans to customize the charging stations, specifically to cater to electric trucks.
This initiative comes at a time when South Africa’s electric vehicle (EV) market shows sustained growth, with anticipated revenues of $32.5 million in 2024 and a projected climb to $60.8 million by 2028.
Additionally, South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition announced in late 2023 that the country aims to introduce its first electric vehicle by 2026.
Zero Carbon Charge’s initiative stands apart from the over 350 electric vehicle charging stations available in South Africa that are dependent on Eskom’s grid. Expanding the list, both Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) and Tibco’s Chargify announced plans in November 2023 to establish an additional 127 EV charging stations across South Africa, with completion expected in early 2024.
