No matter how you slice it, electric cars (including hydrogen and compressed gas-powered ones) are an integral part of the future as manufacturers look towards alternative energy to power their vehicles, while reducing emissions.
In the local context, BMW and Nissan have their advocates in the form of the i3 and Leaf respectively.
They have also signed a memorandum of understanding to provide universal charging stations in Gauteng and, more recently, Cape Town. Of course, the number of charging stations will increase relative to the number of electric vehicles on our roads.
To fast-track such developments and infrastructure in SA, a number of stakeholders have come together to address the future needs of the local electric vehicle market. Motor News attended the inaugural Electric Vehicle Industry Association (Evia) conference, endorsed by the Department of Trade and Industry and launched in Sandton recently.
Evia's members include, among others, BMW SA, Gridcars, Nissan SA, the South African National Energy Development Institute and Uyilo, a programme of the Technology Innovation Agency. Participants will include government departments and agencies, other electric vehicle manufacturers, as well as electricity infrastructure and smart-grid providers.
Among the keynote speakers at the event was Bert Witkamp of Avere, the European Association for Electromobility, who shared some nuggets regarding the future of electric vehicles and what other markets are doing to achieve their mandate.
About 10 states in the US, including California, have implemented a ZEV (zero emission vehicle) policy following a multistate action plan released in May 2014 that requires car makers to sell specific numbers of vehicles that run on either electricity or hydrogen by 2025.
