City Power hopes to push local adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) further by replacing some of the vehicles in its fleet with EVs, as well as erecting multiple charging stations around the city. This, and other initiatives, are part of the electricity provider’s plans to increase access and reliance on clean energy around the city.
City Power gives the green light
The utility has ambitions to position Joburg as a “leader in the green economy.” The first phase of this plan is the acquisition and deployment of multiple EV charging stations. Traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles will be phased out and replaced with EVs, from “light-duty maintenance vans to heavy-duty trucks,” City Power said.
The second phase entails building charging stations into its depots and operational sites, and working with the Johannesburg Roads Agency to install stations on major public roads. To make access even easier, the electricity service provider wants to put charging stations up at Rea Vaya and Metrobus depots.
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At these charging stations, City Power wants to address lengthy charging times by including a battery-swapping system. This way, time-constrained drivers can simply exchange a depleted battery for a fully-charged one at the system, which will come in handy for high-demand locations.
City Power is also working on other clean energy initiatives for the City of Johannesburg. These include deploying solar microgrids in informal settlements, giving these communities access to off-grid energy. The utility says it has already installed a microgrid in Amarasta, an informal settlement in Alexandra.
Another in Shalazile is 99% done, with others in Vukani, View, and Vlakfontein still under construction. The utility is also increasing the rollout of solar masts and solar-powered street lights in underserved communities to make street lights less reliant on Joburg’s precarious grid.
