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Paving the way for electric vehicles: how greener cars will change road journeys and infrastructure




Not only is the technology environmentally friendly, but the running costs are significantly lower for electric vehicles than for ICE vehicles.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, October 6, 2021 / APO Group / –

Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is expected to accelerate in South Africa in the coming years, leading to changes in gas stations, road trips and the way people pay to power their vehicles.

That’s according to Payment24, experts in fuel and fleet management systems, who say electric vehicles have been slow to take off in South Africa, but adoption is expected to increase as the initial cost of these vehicles increases. decreases and more infrastructure becomes available to support them.

Payment24 CEOs Shadab Rahil and Nolan Daniel note that the logistics of driving electric vehicles will mean people will plan their trips to where they can charge their vehicles, and that there will be changes in the way stations -service will entertain customers while they wait to recharge their cars. , and how people will pay for their power.

Slow start

According to the Green Cape Electric Vehicle Market Intelligence Report released this year, on passenger car sales in 2019, gasoline vehicle sales accounted for 299,048; sales of diesel vehicles for 55,563; and there were only 72 sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, 154 sales of battery-electric vehicles and 181 sales of hybrid electric vehicles.

Rahil and Daniel claim that the adoption of electric vehicles in South Africa has been slow in part because the cheapest electric vehicles available in South Africa are priced around R600,000 and because of the limited number of points. public charging stations, in particular outside major metros. Daniel says: “Range anxiety has also been a factor, with concerns about what should happen if a battery drains while traveling. But battery technology has improved dramatically, so electric vehicles can now be recharged overnight at home or at a large-capacity public charging station in about 20 minutes, which would power a vehicle. over 100 km or more. For most people, a range of 100 km is more than enough for the day.

He says installing a public charging station can cost in the order of R 1 million, making many gas stations and other public facilities reluctant to invest when there are a limited number of electric vehicles on the road. With between 250 and 300 public charging stations across South Africa at present, there is currently around one charging station for four electric vehicles in the country, reports Green Cape, which is one of the ratios. of chargers compared to the highest electric vehicles in the world.

Electric vehicle adoption set to explode

However, prices for electric vehicles are falling and more and more car manufacturers are entering the electric vehicle market, providing more choices for South Africans. This charge could be led by Chinese manufacturers who can provide affordable electric vehicles to African markets in the near future. More electric vehicles on the road will lead to the installation of more charging stations outside of major subways, making longer journeys in electric vehicles more achievable and changing the face of traditional South African road travel. “Charging electric vehicles will definitely change the gas station experience,” he says. “Where people could fill up with liquid fuel and get in and out in 5 minutes, with an electric vehicle, they would be there much longer – waiting their turn to reload and actually charging their vehicles. This will lead to a change in what gas stations offer their customers in terms of refreshments and entertainment. “

The adoption of EVs is already prompting oil companies to move towards a broader energy supply and is also likely to increase the demand for high-capacity electricity, creating new opportunities for small power producers.

Strong business case for electric vehicles

Rahil notes that once the initial costs of an EV are overcome, there is a compelling case for EVs: “Not only is the technology green, but the running costs are considerably lower for EVs than for ICE vehicles. It’s almost a 1: 5 ratio between EVs and ICE vehicles, with energy costs as low as 25c per km for an average EV. From a maintenance standpoint, electric vehicles have much less moving parts, so maintenance is much cheaper. We expect strong adoption among consumers, fleet owners, public transport and logistics companies. He notes that electric trucks will have a considerably larger battery capacity than mainstream vehicles, making electric power a compelling proposition for courier and logistics companies, which will likely adopt electric and hybrid power for everything. , from delivery scooters to large trucks.

Paving the way for transparent integrated payments

Rahil says: “Payment24 is already working on integrating payments at EV charging points with fuel payments so that fleet owners and gas stations can handle all EV and ICE (internal combustion engine) payments on one. single platform. It has become a staple in North America and Europe, and will become increasingly important in South Africa in the years to come.

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