South Africa’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is primed for a significant enhancement, as a major operator is set to introduce 150 new charging stations in the next 15 months.

MyBroadband recently had a conversation with Greg Blandford, the head of e-mobility at Rubicon Energy, to gain insights into the company’s plans for EV charging stations in South Africa for 2023 and 2024.

Rubicon Energy, the official distributor of Tesla Powerwall and Tesla Wall Connector products in South Africa, offers a diverse range of alternative energy products such as inverters, batteries, and solar panels. Notably, it was the first company to import a Tesla Model X and Model Y into South Africa.

Rubicon unveiled its initial public EV charging stations in South Africa just about a year ago, which has now grown to 94 sites, as per Blandford.

Sharp-eyed South Africans may have noticed these chargers at mall parking lots or petrol stations. One of Rubicon’s early partners in this endeavor was Audi, for whom they installed South Africa’s first 200kW charging station at the Mall of Africa.

Rubicon has ambitious expansion plans for its charging network. By the end of this year, they aim to have approximately 150 charging sites, with an additional 100 set to come online in 2024, bringing the total to 250.

These expansion projects encompass:

1. Installing 20–30 new 50kW DC chargers at Volvo dealerships selling the EX30 compact SUV.
2. Upgrading 21+ Autel chargers at BMW dealerships.
3. Establishing 13 public 150kW DC fast chargers across the Eastern Cape.
4. Deploying various public fast DC charging stations nationwide, focusing on inter-city routes.
5. Introducing fast public AC charging stations within cities.

Blandford emphasized that the new charging stations will maintain a ratio of approximately 40:60 between fast DC and AC charging stations. DC chargers are preferable for long-distance travel due to their ability to provide quick top-ups, but they tend to be more expensive per kilowatt-hour (kWh) compared to home charging. AC chargers are more suitable for situations where vehicles can be parked for extended periods, such as offices or shopping malls.

This Rubicon rollout is set to add around 156 new charging stations to South Africa’s existing EV charging network, which comprises approximately 400 sites across all operators.

Winstone Jordaan, CEO of GridCars, has also stated that about 100 new charging stations will be added by the end of 2023. GridCars and Rubicon have collaborated to allow GridCars customers access to Rubicon’s network, and there are plans to open the GridCars network to Rubicon’s customers as well.

If we include Rubicon’s 56 or so additional chargers set for installation in 2023 in Jordaan’s count, it results in a substantial 50% increase in EV chargers in South Africa, bringing the total to around 600, or roughly one charger for every seven of the approximately 4,000 estimated EVs in the country.

These additional charging stations are pivotal in accommodating the growing number of early EV adopters in South Africa. The first half of 2023 witnessed the sale of 501 passenger EVs in the country, just one short of the total for 2022, which had already doubled from the previous year.

Volvo is preparing to roll out 500 of its highly anticipated sub-R800,000 EX30 compact SUVs locally from the first quarter of 2024. According to Greg Maruszewski, the managing director of Volvo Car South Africa, the company received 150 EX30 pre-orders within two months of its global unveiling, and this number has reportedly doubled since then.

Chinese EV giant BYD is also entering the South African market, with plans to launch its first dealerships in Gauteng. This move is expected to introduce more of its Atto 3 cars to the country.

Rubicon has observed an uptick in charging activity at its stations in recent months. There is a growing presence of EVs at public charging stations, with multiple vehicles often spotted at these locations. As the EV market continues to gain momentum, these developments are crucial in supporting the surging demand for charging infrastructure.

Notably, Rubicon will be constructing 13 chargers in the Eastern Cape, the first in South Africa to be funded by the government. Blandford emphasized that government support for EVs is vital to create the necessary infrastructure to accommodate this technology, particularly in a region known as the country’s automotive hub due to the presence of major manufacturers.

The transition to electric vehicles will require substantial investments in assembly plants across South Africa, especially because the main export market, Europe, has set aggressive deadlines for phasing out petrol and diesel cars.

Blandford also noted that Rubicon’s board will decide on future charging station expansions beyond 2024 based on demand. In addition to public charging stations, Rubicon is witnessing increased demand for EV chargers from commercial clients, such as the Shoprite Group, which recently introduced its first fully electric truck.

In conclusion, the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in South Africa is poised for substantial growth, driven by Rubicon Energy’s ambitious plans to introduce 150 new charging stations over the next year and three months, in addition to other operators’ expansion efforts. These developments are crucial in accommodating the increasing number of EVs on South African roads and supporting the transition to electric mobility in the country.