By Larry Claasen
SOUTH Africa’s transition to off-grid electric trucks reached a major milestone with the announcement by Zero Carbon Logistics that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Chinese multinational SANY to develop a charging network.
The network could see six solar-powered charging stations placed between Johannesburg and Durban on the N3 highway.
Placing charging stations on the N3 is just the beginning as Zero Carbon Logistics have plans to set up charging networks on the busiest national roads in South Africa. Its ultimate vision is to have electric powered trucks travelling along the N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N7, N8, N9, N10, N11, N12, N14, and N17 without fear of running out of power.
The announcement by Zero Carbon Logistics comes just as the growth of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has grown in momentum. According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) 3 042 new EVs were bought in the first quarter of 2024. This is up 82.7% from the 1 665 sold in the same period last year.
This EV market has also gotten a boost with the Finance Minister announcement in February, the introduction of an incentive to drive investment in local EV production.
Under the scheme, the makers of electric and hydrogen vehicles can claim up to 150% of “qualifying investment spending.”
A new market
Up until now, EV sales were driven by car sales, but the announcement by Zero Carbon Logistics and SANY has opened up this market to trucks, as the partnership includes the introduction of overseas-manufactured electric trucks and battery technology to South Africa.
“We are thrilled to partner with SANY, a global leader in electromobility, to develop and operate six ultra-fast, green charging facilities on the N3 highway,” said Joubert Roux, co-founder of Zero Carbon Logistics.
“These stations will feature advanced technology, enabling trucks to charge within 20 minutes or swap batteries in under five minutes, ensuring minimal downtime for drivers.”
Zero Carbon Logistics says that by getting businesses to switch to electric trucks on a high traffic volume route – over 8 576 trucks travel a day between Johannesburg, the country’s economic capital and Durban, which is home to the busiest port – it will make a significant reduction in carbon emissions.
It says that electric trucks travelling the length of the N3 will save 670kg in CO2 emissions.
Roux highlighted the need for government incentives to support the transition to electric vehicles. “Achieving net-zero transport by 2050 requires real incentives, such as a six-year tax holiday on EV imports, to encourage widespread adoption of electric trucks. This will also create a favourable environment for local EV and battery manufacturing.”
Roux also noted the potential strain on the national grid from a mass transition to electric trucks. Charging the trucks on the N3 route alone would add an estimated 2,3 billion kWh per year to the grid. To mitigate this, the charging infrastructure will rely on renewable energy to prevent increased CO2 emissions from coal-dependent Eskom.
The company has secured agreements for 90 of the planned 120 off-grid charging sites and has begun the permitting process for the initial six N3 sites, aiming for completion by November 2027.
Roux called for a regulatory framework to expedite the establishment of solar-powered charging stations. “Simplifying land use and environmental application processes is crucial for developing these green charging sites,” he said.
