CHARGE Officially Opens 1st Off-Grid, Green EV Charging Station In South Africa

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At about this time last year, we wrote about Zero Carbon Charge’s plans to roll out electric vehicle charging stations charged 100% by renewable energy. At that time, they had just announced the start of construction at one of their sites, the start of South Africa’s first national network of 120 solar-powered charging facilities spaced out at 150 km intervals. In an exciting development and followup on their progress, CHARGE (formerly Zero Carbon Charge) today officially opened its first off-grid, ultra-fast, green electric vehicle (EV) charging station to the public in Wolmaransstad in the North West province.

CHARGE will be ramping up the development of these 100% renewable energy powered sites in the new year. CHARGE has already signed MOUs in several provinces in South Africa with the provincial governments of Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State,  Northern Cape, and the Eastern Cape.

The off-grid EV charging station in Wolmaransstad boasts six state-of-the-art DC fast charging points for EVs, and two AC charging points for plug-in hybrids. The DC fast chargers are able to charge a vehicle in about 25 minutes. Motorists will also be able to enjoy a cup of coffee and a bite to eat at the farm stall located at the station. CHARGE has developed an app, available for both Android and iOS, for customers who will offer a seamless, user-friendly experience for managing their charging needs and transactions at its EV charging stations.

The new station  at Wolmaransstad was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony that was attended by the Deputy Minister of Electricity, Ms Samantha Graham-Maré; North West MEC for Economic Development, Environment Conservation and Tourism, Ms Bitsa Lenkopane; and Maquassi Hills Local Municipality Mayor, Mr Mzwandile Feliti.

“We are thrilled to be officially opening our first off-grid charging station, which marks a significant milestone in South Africa’s transition to EVs and a carbon-free future. This has been a three year journey, highlighting our commitment to making our off-grid network a reality as we believe it will benefit South Africans in multiple ways,” said Joubert Roux, Executive Chairman of CHARGE.

Commenting on this momentous event, Deputy Minister Graham-Maré said: “We are actively driving renewable energy investments in South Africa, and I am truly inspired to see the determination and passion that the CHARGE team has displayed in driving this incredible development. It just shows that South Africans can solve any problem through innovation.”

“The project is also aligned with the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan, which will be launched early next year. The plan’s focus is on renewables driving local manufacturing which will support projects such as CHARGE’s where off-grid EV charging stations will be developed at scale,” Deputy Minister Graham-Maré added.

MEC Lenkopane expressed her support for the project: “I am proud to be part of this momentous occasion for both the province and the country. CHARGE’s EV charging network will help us create more economic opportunities for surrounding communities.”

CHARGE says the Wolmaransstad charging facility, along with the entire network of 120 charging stations, will create an income stream for landowners on which these facilities are built. Landowners will earn 5% of the revenue generated from vehicles charging on their land.

“We believe that the rollout of our off grid charging stations across the country will serve as a crucial catalyst for EV migration in South Africa. CHARGE’s own research shows that an EV charged from Eskom’s predominantly coal-fired power grid indirectly emits 5.8 tonnes of CO2 per year. In comparison, an average petrol-powered car emits only 4.4 tonnes of CO2 per year. It is clear that the development of a network of off-grid, renewably powered EV charging stations is the only way we will reduce transport emissions in the country,” said Roux.

“We would like to thank our technology partners Greencore Energy Solutions and Magic Power who have provided the charging hardware for the Wolmaransstad charging station and will be supplying the hardware for the other charging stations we will be rolling out across the country. We would also like to thank Volvo South Africa for providing vehicles for our official opening, to demonstrate how the charging station works and for their support in driving green mobility and off-grid charging,” he added.

South Africa’s grid is powered mostly by coal, which is one of the reasons CHARGE focused on integrating its charging stations with renewables. South Africa had also been plagued by a significant electricity generation shortfall, resulting in electricity rationing cycles. This has mostly been resolve now and the country has not experienced any electricity rationing over the past 6 months. CHARGE’s stations had, however, been developed to work in off-grid modes powered by renewables.

Solar panels and lithium-ion battery prices continue to fall on the global market. This will make projects involving large-scale solar PV and battery storage integrated with electric vehicle fast charging quite feasible now, and it will keep getting better. This unlocks new possibilities for rolling out these kinds of charging stations in very remote areas, increasing the penetration of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and enabling EV drivers to drive to more places around the country. I will be following developments in this sector very closely. This South African off-grid charging network could eventually become a goods case study and template for other players in Africa and elsewhere to follow.

I also spotted something interesting at the launch of the charging station at Wolmaransstad. The yellow car seen charging is the Dongfeng Nammi Box EV! This is a car not officially launched in South Africa. Could it be a test car or undergoing homologation in South Africa? In any case, it’s good to spot such cars in South Africa. Hopefully it will be launched on the market soon, helping to increase the pool of more affordable electric cars in South Africa.

Images courtesy of CHARGE