South Africa’s electric mobility ecosystem was recently tested during a 4 000 km electric vehicle (EV) road trip to Gqeberha for NAAMSA’s 90th anniversary and the 2025 South African Automotive Week. Teams travelled from Johannesburg, Durban and East London to demonstrate the feasibility of long-distance EV travel on public charging networks.
Six fully electric models – the BYD Sealion, Leapmotor B10, Mini Cooper SE and Volvo’s EX30 Cross Country, EX90 and XC40 – completed the journey with over 50 participants. One of the first charging stops included a fully off-grid charging hub in Wolmaransstad, North West, that fast charged six vehicles simultaneously powered by solar only.
According to Hiten Parmar, Executive Director of The Electric Mission, the trip confirmed that “electric mobility in South Africa is not only possible today but practical for local drivers.” The route showcased the growing diversity of public charging infrastructure across multiple providers with the Eastern Cape now leading in fast-charging coverage.
“South Africa ranks among the global top 20 for EV-to-charger ratios, citing the IEA’s Global EV Outlook. Aligning domestic production and policy with Europe’s 2035 internal combustion phase-out is essential for export competitiveness,” he says.
