Renewable energy company Rubicon is set to expand the South African electric vehicle (EV) charging grid with an additional 150 plugs before the end of 2023.
In partnership with automakers such as Audi and other commercial partners, Rubicon’s ambitious plan for the year will see its domestic charging network grow to a total of 219 stations, Rubicon Energy and E-Mobility director Greg Blandford told MyBroadband.
The incoming stations will be a mix of AC and DC fast chargers with a focus on building a sustainable network, and first priority will be given to sites where renewable energy is available.
The company is targeting locations that are hotspots for intercity travel including hotels, B&Bs, office parks, and shopping centres, said Blandford.
Rubicon 22kW AC wallbox
Load-shedding is not making things easier
A major hurdle standing in the way of installing more capable chargers in South Africa is the electricity crisis the country is facing.
“Under the current energy crisis, energy capacity has been a challenge, but it has not inhibited the installations, merely restricted the size of charger being installed,” Blandford stated.
The most powerful plug currently available in the country is the Audi-branded 200kW DC station at the Mall of Africa in Midrand, Gauteng, which the automaker installed in partnership with Rubicon.
In the five months the station has been online, Blandford notes it has become “the most popular charger based on the usage stats” and is operated by a wide variety of EV brands.
“The convenience of charging an EV to 80% in 15 minutes means EV drivers can stop for a coffee and be on their way,” he said.
Rubicon hopes to deploy more of these chargers as soon as possible but stresses that installation thereof depends on site suitability and partnerships such as the one with Audi.
It’s unfeasible to upgrade existing electric infrastructure including cables and substations to support stronger chargers, so the company is looking towards solar power and battery energy storage as a solution.
“Even if it could be done, we still have availability of electricity supply to contend with, so South Africa’s future will certainly include EV charging with lithium battery storage and some solar offset,” said Blandford.
The company envisions a similar setup to Tesla’s charging hubs in the United States that use Tesla Megapacks for energy storage.
Tesla charging station
In 2023 and beyond, Blandford said the rate of EV adoption will guide the growth of the nation’s charging infrastructure.
“The more EVs enter the market, the more chargers we will require. A bit of a chicken-and-egg scenario,” said Blandford. Case in point, many potential EV buyers are hesitant to take the plunge due to a lack of available charging points.
With 219 Rubicon and over 350 GridCars stations around the country by the end of 2023, mainly situated in urban areas, coverage is steadily growing but still not near where it needs to be for the mass adoption of battery-driven cars.
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