green economy Archives - Smarter Mobility Africa

30 March 2023

Egypt in race to produce its first electric vehicle ahead of COP28

ESI Africa Future Energy, News, North Africa, Smart Mobility cop28, Egypt, Electric Vehicles, green economy, smart mobility

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Written by: Yunus Kemp

Egypt is pushing to produce its first electric vehicle (EV) in time for it to be showcased at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the UAE in November-December.

The country’s Arab Organisation for Industrialisation (AOI), which is driving the process, called for the “swift completion of preliminary procedures in time for the vehicle to be showcased.”

Egypt is looking to partner with the UAE, Jordan and Bahrain – the four countries held meetings at the Integrated Industrial Partnership in Cairo from 19 to 21 March, where they discussed the production of the first joint Arab electric vehicle.

At the meeting, the countries discussed localising the technology to produce the joint electric vehicle using local components and capabilities available in the four countries.

Egyptian state media reported that since its launch in Abu Dhabi in May 2022, the partnership between the four countries had seen the signing of multi-billion deals “to boost sustainable growth and explore opportunities for joint investments, especially in priority sectors.”

Have you read
World Bank backs Egypt’s climate change sustainable development goals

The production of its first-ever EV was also part of the government’s strategy to transition towards a green economy.

To this end, the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT) regional university announced in February that it would launch the country’s first locally produced EV within six months.

The @AU_DARBE hosted the 2023 African Youth Post @COP27P meeting to strengthen African youths’ engagement in climate action,take stock of #COP27, & define priorities for #COP28 & the Africa Climate Action Summit scheduled for 2023.@Resilient_40 @cymgunep @UK_AfricanUnion @US_AU pic.twitter.com/4G4iM4ouBl
— AU Agriculture, RuralDev't BlueEconomy Environment (@AU_DARBE) March 30, 2023

March news! Upcoming regional climate weeks to build momentum for #COP28, wildlife return in #Brazil, a breakthrough in wireless charging for #electricvehicles, and old-growth forests working as effective carbon sinks. #ClimateNews #MarchNews #ClimateAction #Suatainability pic.twitter.com/FLw9rt44mo
— Fran Benedito (@FranClimate) March 30, 2023

The Dean of the Applied Research Department at AASTMT, Mohamed El-Ghamry, said the project would include two EVs designed in partnership with the private sector.

Have you read
Powering the establishment of green mobility ecosystems in Africa

Last year, the government announced several steps to help it produce EVs: 10 companies had qualified to tender to run EV car charging stations across Egypt; it had set up a national strategy for developing the automotive industry, including the EV manufacturing industry; approved a Bill to establish a council for vehicle manufacturing; and set up a fund to provide financing for an environment-friendly EV industry.

Egypt state media reported that UAE-based automotive manufacturer M Glory Holding announced a $550 million project to establish three integrated factories for EVs in Egypt, the UAE and Jordan.

COP28 President-Designate #DrSultanAlJaber sets the tone at the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial today on the road to #COP28 with a call to action in this critical decade for #ClimateAction. “Let's build on the foundation achieved at @COP27p and move from goals to getting it done.” pic.twitter.com/PP7eFuN2A3
— COP28 UAE (@COP28_UAE) March 20, 2023

6 March 2023

Rethinking urban sustainability with a green economy in mind

ESI Africa Africa, Energy Efficiency, Finance and Policy, News, Smart Mobility, Southern Africa AFDB, Africa, Africa's Green Economy Summit, C40 Cities, eThekwini Municipality, green economy, infrastructure development, mobility, Smart Cities, Smarter Mobility Africa, sustainability, urbanisation

2 March 2023

Racegoers wowed by latest products on show at E-Fest ELECTRIC

Anazi Zote Event News, Events, News, Non classé, Smart Mobility Cape Town, electric mobility, energy transition, formula e, green economy, Smarter Mobility Africa

27 February 2023

Electric Vehicle Road Trip (evrt) Africa 2024 leads the EV charge

Anazi Zote Africa, News, Non classé, Smart Mobility Electric Vehicles, energy transition, EV charging, green economy, infrastructure development

Africa’s most epic electric vehicle road trip (evrt) returns in 2024. Travelling across South Africa showcasing the rapidly advancing variety and capabilities of electric vehicles.

The evrt Africa will run from 15 February – 24 February 2024, the event will also incorporate the electric Go Green Africa torch symbolising the need and opportunity for African organisations to Go Green over the next 10 years. The symbol? An electric torch which will be lit at the start of evrt Africa which will be in town and then carried across different provinces in the country.

Group Director of Mobility at Vuka Group Ben Pullen, who brought evrt Africa to South Africa in 2019, said that the 2024 event aims to be the most exciting road trip in the world. “Asides from being an incredible real-world showcase of the latest EV technology, which will show South Africans that many of the issues around power supply and charging are really only perceived limitations, the road trip will assist in driving EV adoption and highlighting the possibilities of green energy, as symbolised by the Go Green Africa Torch while also enjoying the country’s scenery, food, adventure activities, and culture.”

AutoTrader and AIDC EC make it official

The launch announcement took place in Cape Town last week where it was announced that the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) from Eastern Cape and AutoTrader will be coming along for the ride, both putting an official stamp on the partnership for next year’s event. To mark the partnership with AIDC Eastern Cape, which is mandated to drive the province’s automotive industry, evrt Africa 2024 will now include a jam packed stop in Gqeberha.

Have you read?
Evrt Africa Sets Date For Next E-Mobility Road Trip

CEO, AIDC Eastern Cape, Thabo Shenxane said: “Our partnership involves bringing evrt Africa and its whole fleet of electric cars to the Eastern Cape, as part of promoting EV and the green economy, whilst showcasing the stunning province that we are fortunate to live in.”

Green light for a green economy

“The province is the largest manufacturer of cars in the country and we export cars to Europe, so the transition to electric is very important. We are also doing lots of work convincing the provincial government to start investing in EV infrastructure, and the skills around the EV industry,” said Shenxane.

For the AIDC-EC the focus on EV is critical for the long-term prospects of the automotive industry.

“Two of our biggest manufacturers export cars to Europe, and Europe has already declared that by 2035 they aren’t consuming any internal combustion engines – which means we need to change,” said Shenxane. “And so, if we don’t create an environment that’s conducive to manufacture and export EVs then the industry will leave the country, which would be catastrophic for a province like the Eastern Cape. We have seen the departure of one major car manufacturer in the Eastern Cape, which left thousands jobless, we would not like to see that again.”

Besides the sustainability green economy aspect, increasing demand for EVs has the potential to create local employment opportunities. This is of particular interest to the Western Cape Government, which brought one of the city’s BMW i3 vehicles to the evrt Africa 2024 launch announcement event.

Have you read?
Ready, Set, Go: Green Economy Revving To Go In Africa

“The Western Cape is the first province to launch an EV strategy. We take it seriously,” said new provincial Minister of Mobility? Ricardo Mackenzie on Friday.? “We are proud to be partners in this and are keen to drive mobility and the green economy, because this is where the jobs lie.”

And the data is unequivocal: South African consumers are increasingly interested in EVs. Although battery electric cars remain the ultimate prize, AutoTrader CEO George Mienie says that the company’s latest Hybrid Car Buyers Survey revealed that hybrids were in particular demand because of their current price point.

“Advert views for hybrids have increased by 44% year-over-year (YOY) and enquiries 64% YOY, and 45% of respondents said they’d consider buying a hybrid in the next few years. In order to achieve mass adoption of hybrid electric vehicles, surveys have shown we have to get the cost below R500 000. This is why we say that there is a middle step for the mass market, and that is in the hybrid. Consumers want battery electric but it’s too expensive today. What is fundamental though is education around what hybrids can offer.”

Eskom supports new energy market

Eskom Distribution were in support of the event, and their Group Executive, Monde Bala shared their vision to electrify around 20% of Eskom’s vehicles by 2025, which could drive the demand for electric vehicles in the country, given that Eskom Distribution has over 10,000 vehicles in their fleet.

Have you read?
E-Prix Technology Development To Advance Electric Vehicles

Some of the attendees at the evrt Africa 2024 launch announcement event got a taste of the EV experience on a scenic drive around Cape Town. Vehicles included the Mini Cooper Electric and BMW iX3 from Drive Electric, a new electric vehicle leasing company which launched in Cape Town. The new Volvo XC40 Recharge, the Tesla Model X from Rubicon, the Mercedes EQA, EQB, EQC and EQS, and the BMW i3 which came from the Western Cape Government.

The launch announcement event was one of a number of events happening in Cape Town in conjunction with the city’s inaugural ABB FIA Formula E Cape Town E-Prix is the E-Fest which brings a series of events in Cape Town including Africa’s Green Economy Summit and E-Fest ELECTRIC.

electric vehicles green mobility smart mobility zero emissions vehicle electric car

25 February 2023

evrt Africa sets date for next e-mobility road trip

ESI Africa Africa, Battery Energy Storage, Customer Services, Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Event News, News, Reports, Research and Development, Smart Mobility, Smart Technologies, Southern Africa Africa's Green Economy Summit, Clean Technology, e-mobility, Electric Vehicles, EV charging, EVs, green economy, smart technologies, Smarter Mobility Africa, South Africa

Written by: Theresa Smith

The next evrt Africa road trip will take place from 15 to 24 February 2024, according to Smarter Mobility Africa (SMA) founder, Ben Pullen.

Making the announcement a day before the Formula E race in Cape Town, Pullen pointed out that the evrt Africa road trip also showcases electric vehicle products and technologies and amplifies the message of the benefits of going electric.

“The event plays a role in educating and awareness around clean energy and vehicles. It’s a real educator, very visual,” said Pullen.

Have you read?
Investment to accelerate adoption of green vehicles in emerging markets

evrt Africa first launched on this continent in 2019 with a 9-day road trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town. One of the first partners to sign up for the 2024 road trip, the Eastern Cape-based Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC), hinted they would like the EV road trip to spend more time in their region in 2024.

Thabo Shenxane, AIDC CEO, said the choice to get involved with evrt Africa was a no-brainer as the Eastern Cape knows it has to work with the other provinces to save the country’s automotive industry, which is based around Gqeberha. “If we can’t work together, the industry will collapse.

“We could use these types of events to extend our services. It is possible that by 2025 we could do a road trip linked to a tourism product with EVs. It’s possible.

“The commitment is for us to ensure that our province integrates with the rest of the country and the transition to EV. We’re mandated to do that as the AIDC,” said Shenxane.

evrt Africa to play role in clean energy education

Ricardo McKenzie, the new MEC for mobility in the Western Cape, said it is an exciting time to work in the mobility space.

He drew everyone’s attention to the fact that two EVs outside the launch venue were branded with Western Cape logos because they belonged to the province fleet.

“We are the first province to launch an EV strategy. We take this very seriously. Our depot in Maitland already has chargers. And on 1 April, we will launch more charging stations in the province,” said McKenzie.

He added: “We will work to drive e-mobility and the green economy because that is where the jobs are. We will work with our partners in the city on how we can continue to drive this.”

Iain Banner, Formula E Cape Town promoter and founder of Go Green Africa, emphasised that EVs and clean technology are good for business.

“You’re helping other people at the same time as you’re helping yourself. We want Formula E to be an annual celebration of sustainability. It’s the only sport in the world that is net zero. It shows you can perform at the highest level while bringing in the whole new world of clean energy,” said Banner.

Have you read?
E-Prix technology development to advance electric vehicles

Educating South Africa on clean energy and EV tech

Banner’s goal is to create a movement towards clean energy, “so we started with the E-Fest, which incorporates Africa’s Green Economic Summit. Then, there’s also Go Green Africa which will be the workshop. evrt Africa is the celebration of what you can do with EVs.

“Range anxiety is still a big issue. We have to sort out legislation so that we can import EVs at a better deal than internal combustion vehicles,” said Banner.

He explained that the torch travelling with the EVs at evrt Africa 2024 would represent green energy. “It is going to travel with the vehicles, and we’ll be stopping at Megawatt Park. We want Eskom to sign a declaration [as a Go Green Africa partner].”

“We will celebrate Go Green Africa at different points,” he explained.

Place for hybrid EVs in South Africa

Autotrader CEO George Mienie said they have been working with the SMA founder for the past four years, providing research on vehicle demand and supply to understand trends in consumer behaviour around EVs.

They recently published the Hybrid Car Buyers Survey 2022, which shows “a humongous increase in consumer demand for hybrid vehicles.”

The survey identifies that the consumer appetite for hybrids in South Africa is increasing. The use of hybrid as a search filter increased by 47% in 2022, compared to 2021. Hybrid consumer advert views were also up 44% year-on-year, while hybrid enquiries rose by 64%. New vehicle sales are also positive – hybrid vehicle sales in SA were up by 1,885% compared to the first eight months of 2021.

Still, there is a big need for education and awareness – the survey also showed that most South Africans are unaware of the various hybrid cars available. There is also a lack of understanding of the various hybrid car drive train configurations that exist.

“The key fundamental, what we are doing today, is education. Even with a hybrid, 81% of consumers got the range wrong. They believe the range of hybrids is lower than what it actually is. The best way is to get bums on seats,” said Mienie.

Of interest
Is the renewables evolution a sign to locally manufacture EVs?

Importance of the grid

Monde Bala, Eskom Distribution Group Executive, said the utility started its e-mobility journey many years ago when they collaborated on pilot project research around the Nissan Leaf.

In the future, the distribution side of Eskom will be leaving the power stations to the generation department. “Our focus is to embrace the future, which is green. We do have an aspiration of being net-zero by 2050,” said Bala.

Part of that net-zero goal is to get involved in the e-mobility space by getting into EV charging grid infrastructure through the utility’s vast infrastructure framework already in place.

Eskom also has a large automobile fleet of around 10,000 vehicles which it wants to electrify. “We’ve started the process; we are running a pilot to go green with EVs,” said Bala.

Read more about the Cape Town E-Prix and the Cape Town E-Fest. ESI

23 February 2023

Self-generating electricity and improving transport infrastructure at provincial level

ESI Africa Asset Maintenance, Business and markets, Customer Services, Features/Analysis, Finance and Policy, Generation, News, Non classé, Smart Mobility, Southern Africa Africa's Green Economy Summit, Gauteng, green economy, IPPs, Public Transport, rail, Smarter Mobility Africa, South Africa, SSEG, Transportation

In Cape Town for Africa’s Green Economic Summit, William Dachs, Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) CEO, reminded that the public transport agency’s current concession with Bombela ends in March 2026.

“Then the assets are fully paid off and ready for use in a new concession-type arrangement,” said Dachs, pointing out this would then be the perfect opportunity to reinvest in the system and grow it even further. The Agency has completed National Treasury Feasibility Studies and is ready to launch the procurement post-2026 project in April. They will host a formal market engagement in Johannesburg in the last week of March.

Have you read?
Cape Town combating the Eskom, NERSA tariff hike decision

Enumerating the Agency’s many successes since opening its doors 13 years ago, Dachs indicated that the GMA are the only A-grade public infrastructure in South Africa, with an asset value of R45 billion connecting Gauteng’s three metros and the largest PPP in the country.

It is the only rail system in SA to adopt world standards in electronic ticket systems, which accept any form of payment for travel on trains and buses. The GMA is the only public transport system with formal contracts with minibus taxi associations and makes a quantifiable impact of R2.60 for every rand invested. Over R6 billion was spent on local goods and services in the last years – R5bn through black-owned businesses and SMMEs.

The real challenge lies outside these doors, on the N1 a few hundred metres away, and the N2 a few kilometres away, and on countless urban roads in South Africa and in Africa.

SSEG for provinces is the way to go

Explaining his other reasons for attending Africa’s Green Economic Summit (AGES), Dachs started off by talking about South Africa’s energy situation.

“There is a growing realisation that solutions to the current electricity supply crisis lie as much in small, scalable solutions at municipal and provincial levels as they do at Megawatt park [Eskom’s head office],” said Dachs.

Referencing Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s recent announcement to allocate R1,2 billion to boost energy supply in the province of Gauteng, Dachs pointed out that part of this would be used to put solar panels on the rooftops of government buildings, including Gautrain stations, for solar generation.

Panyaza Lesufi’s budget speech
Opportunity on the rise: Gauteng to appoint six solar developers

Part of that money would also be used to create larger-scale renewable energy generators in the province. “I see the same restlessness and the same approach towards self-reliance here in Cape Town with moves towards smaller scale IPPs and even domestic feed-in rates.

“If solving the energy crisis means combining increased self-reliance in generation with renewable sources and financing that off the public balance sheets, then achieving national green energy commitments suddenly becomes more believable,” said Dachs.

Green economy for transport infrastructure too

He said his second reason for attending AGES is transport-related. He was pleased by discussion topics such as mobility for social inclusion and economic opportunity, urban sustainability, and smart cities. However, Dachs was worried that people would be too caught up in discussions on making cars and trucks more carbon-efficient and using technology better and smarter in our cities.

“The real challenge lies outside these doors, on the N1 a few hundred metres away, and the N2 a few kilometres away, and on countless urban roads in South Africa and in Africa.”

Dachs thinks the true challenge is the “massive and regressive” move away from rail-based passenger transport to road-based modes of transport such as private cars and minibus taxis. “Add in another long-term shift of freight from road to rail, and we have the perfect storm of growing urbanisation, increasing road usage, congestion and carbon emissions.”

Of interest
Investment to accelerate adoption of green vehicles in emerging markets

SA transit systems need to revamp

To give some sense of perspective on the problem, while Gauteng road traffic volumes consistently grow at around 7% per annum, the national rail network has shed around 500 million annual rail passenger trips per annum in South Africa over the last 10 years… they shifted mode into a highly unregulated and inefficient road-based transport.”

Dachs said he was not arguing against a shift towards electric vehicles or hydrogen-based fuels which he sees as a necessity, but a “failure to grow and develop our urban guided transit systems.”

“We have a great National Rail Policy, what we need is action, and part of that action is accelerated planning of and investment in urban rail systems. If the provinces and cities of this country are now having to face up to and help tackle the national problem of electricity supply, why on earth will we not have to do exactly the same in the rail sector?

“Issues like better urban planning, sensible ways of getting private sector participation into transport have got to be on the agenda,” said Dachs.

Africa’s Green Economy Summit continues today (Thursday, 23 February) at the Century City Conference Centre. It is co-located with E-Fest, which hosts Africa’s first E-Prix on Saturday, 25 February.

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Egypt in race to produce its first electric vehicle ahead of COP28

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