Audi South Africa in partnership with Rubicon has brought 43 additional electric vehicle (EV) charging stations online across the country.
Should they all be used simultaneously, it would mean a total of 57 EVs would be able to top up their batteries at the same time.
The latest rollout includes the very first DC 200kW ultra-fast charger in South Africa, which is installed at the impressive Mall of Africa. The EV battery of an e-tron GT can be recharged within 15 minutes. The solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed at Mall of Africa is one of the largest of its kind in the Southern hemisphere, making this installation a progressive statement towards sustainable charging.
The rest of this second phase of infrastructure investment comprises four 100kW (DC), eight 60kW (DC), five 25kW (DC) and twenty-five 22kW (AC) fast EV charger installations at convenient locations across the country to serve all EV customers.
If you combine the first and second phases of charging infrastructure installation, that means that Audi and partners GridCars and Rubicon, have installed 76 fast and ultra-fast EV chargers across South Africa, representing about 28% of public charging stations in the country.
“The rollout of our second phase of EV charging stations is the next step in realising our vision of sustainable mobility and living our mantra that the ‘Future is an Attitude’,” says Sascha Sauer, Head of Audi South Africa. “EVs are the future of mobility and we’re investing not just in hardware infrastructure, but in making electric mobility simpler and more widely available for South Africans, thus enabling the local EV market to grow. By fulfilling our promise from early 2022, we’re demonstrating our commitment to helping take SA into the future of mobility”.
“While load shedding is a reality to which South Africans have become accustomed, it is worth pointing out that our charging network also capitalises on solar installations, where possible, to keep the charging stations optimally operational,” says Sauer. “With a range between 350 and 480km the Audi e-tron models typically do not require a charge every day, so depending on driving style and daily commuting distances, owners will be able to find their nearest charging station and charge their vehicles regularly, with ease”.
