
These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s automotive industry this week.
Expected petrol price for August
The Central Energy Fund (CEF) has revealed its mid-month data for fuel prices in South Africa, with the latest projections indicating that petrol 93 will see a small decrease come August, while 95 octane prices are set to go up.
Diesel, on the other hand, is expected to see another price jump across the board, narrowing the gap between it and its more refined counterpart.
N1 road closures this weekend
The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has announced that it will be closing off the N1 freeway between Pretoria and Centurion this weekend to allow for the vital infrastructure upgrades.
The road closure will affect the area between Rigel Avenue, Pretoria, and the R21 interchange, Centurion this weekend, with both the north and southbound routes being partially blocked off.
A project manager for the operation warned that the closure times may need to be altered depending on weather and other unforeseen interruptions on the day.
New Ford Ranger Wildtrak X pricing revealed
Ford has revealed the pricing of its newest bakkie – the Wildtrak X.
The X is positioned as the middle ground of the existing Wildtrak and the high-octane Raptor, accordingly receiving a R1-million-plus price tag.
It uses the same framework as the Wildtrak but adds new off-road-focused features intended to bridge the gap to the Raptor, while also expanding the high-rider’s utility with several unique add-ons.
Cape Town installs “smart speed signs”
The City of Cape Town is experimenting with “smart speed signs” in an attempt to reduce speeding along its more scenic driving routes.
Two new signs have been put up along High Level Road on the Atlantic seaboard, which can detect and display the speed of passing vehicles.
The hops is that “if a driver sees the actual speed they are traveling on a 50km/h road it will create a front-of-mind message to slow down,” said Ward Councillor Ian McMahon.
Big changes coming to South Africa’s airports
Airports Company South Africa announced that it is planning to improve operations at its facilities by using artificial intelligence and increased automation.
The state-owned entity is responsible for nine of the countries biggest airports including Cape Town, King Shaka, and OR Tambo International.
The proposed changes include the use of biometric security and a streamlining of its services using user-driven interface.
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