info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
Photo from Internet
This forecast by Jaguar Land Rover South Africa was based on the uptake of EVs in the domestic market matching the global average of EVs accounting for up to 11 percent of all new cars sold in 2015.
Richard Gouverneur, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, said on Friday that the uptake of EVs globally had been growing exponentially, but there was some belief in South Africa that it would never take off in this country.
“There is no doubt in my mind that EVs will form a part of our future and we have no choice but to adopt electrification as part of our model and product strategy going forward in South Africa,” he said.
Jaguar Land Rover is preparing to launch the all-electric I-Pace SUV in South Africa in the second quarter of this year, which has a claimed range of up to 470km, depending on driving style and conditions on a single charge.
In partnership with electric vehicle charging authority GridCars, R30 million has been invested in 82 public EV charging stations on South Africa’s major routes to lay the foundation for the future of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the country.
Brian Hastie, the network director and electrification team leader at Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and vice-chairperson of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa electric, hybrid and autonomous working group, said this investment was a response to claims that motorists were unable to live with an EV on an everyday basis.
Hastie said global EV sales had grown exponentially to 1 million units in 2017 and 1.6 million units last year, and it is estimated that EV sales would account for 55 percent of all new vehicle sales by 2040.
He said there were 20 EV brands,and they anticipated there would be up to 100 different EV model ranges within the next four or five years.