Zero Carbon Charge (ZeroCC) has officially rolled out the Northern Cape development of 21 off-grid electric passenger and light commercial vehicle charging stations and 15 electric off-grid truck charging stations in the province. This infrastructure investment will total R15.4 billion, of which the electric vehicle charging sites for passenger vehicles are expected to be completed and operational by September 2025. The electric truck charging stations are in the permitting process and development will commence upon approvals.
The 36 EV charging stations will be off-grid and powered by Solar PV, meaning they will be completely independent of Eskom’s largely coal-powered grid, making them 100% green and loadshedding-proof. The Northern Cape municipalities in which the charging sites will be located are listed below.
The 36 sites will form part of South Africa’s first network of 120 electric passenger and light commercial vehicle and 120 electric truck renewable charging stations, strategically spaced across national and provincial highways across the country, which are currently being developed by ZeroCC and Zero Carbon Logistics.
The latest predictions by motor and energy industries stakeholders indicate that there will be around 120 000 EVs on South Africa’s roads by 2027 and 360 000 EVs by 2030.
“We are incredibly excited that construction on ZeroCC’s charging stations will soon be underway. This national off-grid charging network will help absorb the huge demand created by the uptake of EVs in the next few years, and is therefore critical for the future stability of South Africa’s power grid,” said Andries Malherbe, co-founder of ZeroCC.
“Should government make EVs more affordable by reducing the current hefty import duties applicable to EVs coming into South Africa, this growth could be even more exponential. That is why we are investing now in the construction of clean supercharging systems that can charge any electric vehicle at its maximum charging rate,” added Joubert Roux, co-founder of ZeroCC.
Each of these facilities will also serve as a major economic boost to local communities in the Northern Cape. Landowners will earn 5% of the revenue generated from vehicles charging on their land, whilst 1% of the revenue will also be reinvested in local socio-economic development initiatives.
Critical to the mass development of an off-grid charging network is the creation of a conducive regulatory environment that encourages innovation and the transition towards cleaner energy sources. One of the reasons ZeroCC is able to launch 36 EV charging sites in the province, is because of the efficiency of the Northern Cape Provincial Government and support from the Northern Cape Economic Development Agency (NCEDA) in getting the necessary planning and environmental approvals in place.
“We are very excited about the private investment and development by Zero Carbon Charge, as this forms part of our priority on combatting climate change through promoting the green economy of the Northern Cape, as we form part of the critically important green hydrogen project,” said Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul.
Commenting on the development rollout, acting CEO for NCEDA, Hendrik Louw commented: “The Northern Cape is an important province in the renewable energy sphere. The development of 36 PV solar-powered electric charging stations in our province creates the opportunity for the localisation of energy in our rural communities, while also strengthening our migration to green mobility and energy resilience.”
“We would like to thank Premier Saul and Mr Hendrik Louw, Acting CEO of NCEDA, for their commitments towards facilitating the successful rollout of this development, which includes streamlining the various land use and environmental application processes required to get approval for charging sites. This will allow us to start development as soon as possible to prepare the Northern Cape for the upcoming EV transition,” said Roux.
“The establishment of off-grid, solar-powered EV charging stations is completely new to South Africa, which is why there have been frustrating delays in some provinces granting the necessary approvals. We have now undertaken independent research to support the development of appropriate policy frameworks to help governments across the country decarbonise South Africa’s entire transport network”, he added.
“We appreciate the support the Northern Cape Provincial Government have shown for our project, which is a crucial catalyst necessary for EV migration in the country. We will continue to work with all spheres of government who are committed to introducing green transport solutions that ensure South Africa also meets its net zero targets,” concluded Roux.
The 36 EV charging stations will be situated in the following municipalities in the Northern Cape:
- Kai !Garib
- Phokwane
- Hantam
- Emthanjeni
- Siyancuma
- !Kheis
- Ubuntu
- Umsobomvu
- Khâi-Ma
- Siyathemba
- Kamiesberg
- Namakwa District
- Gamagara
- Dawid Kruiper
- Magareng
- JB Marks
For more info:
- Visit charge.co.za
