Audi adding many more chargers – for all to use.

Electric cars have arrived in South Africa. Finally. But charging infrastructure remains a problem.

And as the electric vehicle fleet grows, a lagging charging infrastructure could trigger ownership frustration. Not the kind of frustration any brand wants with the calibre of customers able to afford any of the current electric vehicles – all of which, are rather expensive.

Audi has taken a proactive approach and partnered with GridCars, a local charging infrastructure company that also partnered with Jaguar to create the initial Powerway across SA. This new partnership will see Audi fund the expansion of 33 new charging stations, with a total of 70 connectors.

More charging stations, with greater potency, are crucial in absorbing the demand from new electric vehicle owners in South Africa. Customers don’t want to wait an unreasonable time to recharge, and with most local electric vehicle sales being luxury cars with large batteries, high-capacity chargers are necessary regarding convenience.

Four of the 33 new chargers in this project between Audi and GridCars will be of the 150 kW configuration. And all the chargers will be open for multi-brand vehicle use.

Although the final locations are unconfirmed, the four 150 kW unitswill be placed along highway routes. A 150 kW charger can replenish approximately 340 km of battery range in only half an hour.

To support these four high-capacity 150 kW chargers, there will also be five 80 kW stations, strategically placed on the country’s most used highway routes. GridCars and Audi have not confirmed the location of four of those five, but we do know that one will be at Richmond, on the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape Town.

In half an hour, the 80 kW chargers have adequate energy flow to add 185 km of driving range to an electric vehicle.

For those electric vehicle owners who are more concerned about commuting convenience than inter-provincial travel, Audi will be adding 24 charging stations of 22 kW capacity. Again, exact locations are not detailed, but Audi does say they will be placed at ‘public lifestyle and recreational venues across the country’.

The 22 kW charging adds 100 km of range, in an hour. This makes sense if those drivers visiting a lifestyle venue are going there for a specific activity or eating experience, which is nearly always more than an hour in duration.

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