A project to build 120 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across South Africa is being supercharged to the tune of ZAR1 billion.

BusinessTech reports that South Africa’s Zero Carbon Charge has signed an MoU with Chinese battery storage manufacturer Shanghai Magic Power Tech and its local partner Greencore Energy Solutions to build and import integrated supercharging systems.

The first batch of 480kW liquid-cooled superchargers is expected to arrive by July, meaning that the full network of EV charging stations is on track for completion by September 2025, according to Zero Carbon Charge director Joubert Roux. ESI Africa reports that the company broke ground on the project in Wolmaransstad in the North West province last year and that the first station will be operational by June 2024.

The superchargers mean that the off-grid solar-powered EV charging stations will be able to charge EV batteries at maximum speed. They will also be able to be integrated seamlessly into the solar PV generation and battery storage at each facility.

13 February 2024
Image: Freepik