The German car-maker, Audi, is investing heavily in South Africa’s electric vehicle future with its latest project. The brand has partnered with GridCars, which offers a variety of EV solutions, to build an extensive electric vehicle charging network in SA.
This network will make up a total of 70 chargers placed at 33 public charging sites throughout the country. It’ll include a variety of chargers, including four 150kW fast-chargers, five 80kW chargers and 24 20kW chargers. These will be available to any brand of EV to use, not only those branded with the four circle emblem.
Audi’s got that spark
“The 150kW public chargers initiated by Audi will be the first for the South African market. The charge points will provide up to 150kW of direct current (DC) charge to electric vehicles; meaning that an Audi e-tron 55 (with a 95kWh battery) will charge from 10% to 90% in approximately 30 minutes,” it details in a press release.
“These publicly-accessible charging stations will offer all EV consumers regardless of vehicle ownership, the latest, state-of-the-art charging technology available in South Africa, aiming to assist consumers with the adoption of electric mobility,” it continues.
Audi and GridCars have already started the installation of these chargers at various sites from December 2021. They will be strategically placed alongside the N1, N2, N3 and N4 (the fast-chargers will be placed on these major routes).
The 80kW fast-chargers will give an EV around a 185km range boost in 30 minutes, which isn’t terrible. These will also be placed along major highway routes such as the N1, N2, N3 and N4. “One of these chargers will close a long-standing gap (Richmond) in the route between Johannesburg and Cape Town,” the release reads.
The 20kW chargers will give you around 100km range in an hour, and will be placed around key public lifestyle and recreational points around the country.
Audi plans to bring its E-Tron range into South Africa fairly soon. This includes the E-Tron 55 SUV, the 55 Sportback, the S Sportback, and the E-Tron GT, including the RS variation.