Three months after launching its off-grid, solar-powered charging hubs along the N3 corridor, Zero Carbon Charge (Charge) plans to double their charging capacity as demand from electric passenger and commercial vehicles increases.
Source: Zero Carbon Charge | Photo credit: Ryan Jarrett
The upgrade will increase total charging capacity at each hub from 360 kW to up to 720 kW, with available power automatically allocated between vehicles according to the number of vehicles charging and each vehicle's charging capacity.
Where sufficient capacity is available, the system will be able to direct up to 600 kW to a single connector, allowing multiple vehicles, including commercial trucks, to charge simultaneously at higher power.
“When we launched these hubs in May, we built them to accommodate today’s vehicles while leaving room to grow,” said Joubert Roux, Charge co-founder and chairperson. “Within three months, demand from customers driving both passenger and commercial vehicles has made it clear that we need to bring that growth forward.”
The expansion comes as electric vehicle uptake increases in South Africa. Charge said the latest NAAMSA figures show electrified vehicles account for 6% of new light-vehicle sales, with NEV sales growing by more than 500% year on year.
“This expansion also reflects what is happening in South Africa’s EV market. The latest NAAMSA figures show electrified vehicles now account for 6% of new light vehicle sales, with NEV sales growing by over 500% year on year. This is a recognised tipping point in market penetration. More EVs on the road means greater demand for charging, and the infrastructure needs to keep pace.”
Once the upgrade is complete, each hub will provide a minimum of 120 kW per vehicle when six vehicles are charging simultaneously.
At a constant charging rate, a passenger vehicle charging at 120 kW could add approximately 150 km of range in 15 minutes. At 400 kW, this could increase to roughly 500 km over the same period, while an electric truck charging at 500 kW could add approximately 75 km.
Actual range added will vary depending on vehicle efficiency, battery characteristics and charging conditions.
Solar and battery capacity to increase
The expansion will also increase the renewable-energy capacity supporting the charging hubs.
Solar capacity at each site will increase by 66.1%, from 280 kWp to 470 kWp, while battery storage will increase by 117.1%, from 645 kWh to 1.4 MWh.
The additional battery storage will allow more solar energy to be stored and used for charging when solar production is insufficient.
Combined, the two upgraded Charge Hubs will have the potential to generate approximately 1.6 GWh of renewable energy annually. Charge estimates this could support around 8 million passenger-vehicle kilometres or 940,000 heavy-truck kilometres each year if the energy is fully directed towards electric mobility.
Based on the Johannesburg-Durban route, the company estimates this would be equivalent to nearly 6,900 passenger-vehicle return trips or 810 heavy-truck return trips annually along the N3.
Charge estimates the additional solar generation could avoid approximately 585 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions each year compared with drawing the same energy from the national grid. This would take the hubs' estimated total annual emissions avoidance after the expansion to approximately 1,450 tonnes.
The company said the Charge Hubs have to date avoided 24,400 kg of carbon emissions.
“It’s not only about how many electric vehicles are on the road. It’s about displacing imported diesel and petrol with energy we generate here and building the kind of energy resilience that comes with it. These sites will save 800 000 litres of fuel directly, most of it imported. That is the advantage of off-grid, renewable-powered infrastructure,” said Roux.
Commercial freight demand
The expansion will also increase charging capacity available to Charge's commercial freight partners operating along the N3.
"High-speed, green charging capacity is what transforms electric freight from a pilot project into a competitive edge. This N3 upgrade ensures our clients' electric trucks and vehicles stay fully charged and on schedule, proving that zero-emission transport on South Africa's busiest freight route is now a reality,” said Michael Maas, CEO and co-founder of Zimi.
Charge expects to place orders for the upgrade in the coming weeks, with the expanded capacity targeted for completion before the end of the year.
The company's next major rollout along the N1 corridor is planned to include megawatt-level charging capacity from the outset.
“The N3 has shown us what happens when the infrastructure is ready before the demand fully arrives,” Roux said. “We expect exactly the same story to play out on the N1 – and we’re already planning for it.”
