Charging your electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEV) will soon be easy with many charging ports being erected throughout South Africa.  BMW Group South Africa and Nissan South Africa together roll out the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the Mother City, Cape Town.

When BMW South Africa and Nissan South Africa signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2015, it highlighted how pivotal it was to expand charging infrastructures in South Africa.  Their first joint charging stations are located in the Western Cape.

Currently there are three charging stations located at the Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront in Cape Town.  These structures are supported by Growthpoint Properties, who manage the Waterfront.

These charging stations are in addition to other charging stations installed by BMW South Africa in 27 BMW dealerships at the Melrose Arch precinct and Head Office in Midrand.  The idea is to support the adoption of EV’s in urban areas.  These charging stations are fast and secure and they have a Type 2 connection which allows you to charge your i3, i8 as well as the Nissan Leaf.  These stations have been built with the future in mind and will be able to cater for prospective EV’s and PHEV’s.

“With the MoU and the rollout of public charging infrastructure, the BMW Group is demonstrating its commitment to shaping the future of individual mobility with publicly accessible charging infrastructure for electrically powered vehicles. We understand that public charging infrastructure is a critical part of the future success of all electric vehicles in South Africa,” says Mr Tim Abbott, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BMW Group South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sales growth of the innovative i-range

52 116 BMW i3’s were sold worldwide since inception in 2013 and a whopping 9 203 BMW i8 units were sold worldwide since its launch in 2014.  Impressively in South Africa, BMW has sold a total of 141 BMW i3’s and 159 BMW i8 vehicles which makes the i-range the most successful electric vehicle in the market.

The next stages

The next confirmed charging station site under the MoU in Cape Town is Constantia Village Mall.  BMW South Africa and Nissan South Africa have also confirmed that future charging infrastructure will be located at Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria.  Both parties will continue to work together to expand the EV charging network throughout South Africa.

Read full story: Bmw Blog