Solar Electric Car Charging in South Africa

Electric car naysayers are quick to point out that EVs run mainly on dirty electricity from oil, coal, and gas power stations. So what’s the point in flogging these vehicles in the developing world, they ask, where they cost a small fortune on exchange rates? A cheeky startup in South Africa is introducing solar electric car charging along the nation’s highways, with a difference.

The Difference That Makes Electric Car Charging a Pleasure

Local news channel, Independent Online, broke the news after the Electricity Deputy Minister cut the ribbon at the flagship Wolmeransstad charging station. This country town is on the highway between Johannesburg and diamond-rich Kimberley, where fortunes were made, and the sun shines an average eight to nine hours a day.

The big difference this time is electric car users won’t have to twiddle their thumbs on hard benches, while they wait for their batteries to charge. That’s because the new start-up decided to team their services with farm stalls offering coffee, burgers and more.

Although their customers may no doubt prefer to go for the burgers. That’s because the Wolmaransstad solar electric car charging farm stall, offers fast battery charging on the fly:

The farm stall has six DC fast C charging points, plus two AC outlets for plug-in hybrids.
The DC units appear to be capable of charging an average EV in just 25 minutes.
There is an internet-based app that simplifies the entire transactional process.

Where To From Here With the Wolmaransstad Solar Station?

The Wolmeransstad initiative is by no means a flash in the pan. The cheeky roll-out that goes by the name of Charger, is forging ahead with bold plans for a further 119 solar electric car charging stations across South Africa.

We are thrilled to have officially opened our first off-grid electric vehicle charging station, remarks a company spokesperson. This marks a significant milestone in South Africa’s transition to electric vehicles, and a carbon-free future too.