Eskom has signed a memorandum of cooperation with BYD Auto South Africa to expand access to electric vehicles (EVs) and public charging infrastructure. The partnership was announced on September 16.
The agreement builds on Eskom’s recent internal rollout of 20 EVs and 10 charging stations for its fleet. The collaboration aims to make EV ownership more accessible while supporting the development of a national charging network, Eskom says.
“Having successfully rolled out EVs within our fleet, we are ready to enable wider adoption by bringing accessible charging infrastructure to South Africans,” says Agnes Mlambo, Eskom’s Acting Group Executive: Distribution.
DEKRA Industrial, a South African testing and inspection company, conducted pre-launch testing of BYD’s EVs. The tests assessed energy use, charging efficiency and other performance factors.
In future, the partners may explore renewable-powered fast-charging hubs, battery recycling and repurposing for energy storage and the integration of EVs into its demand-side management strategy to help balance electricity supply and demand as the grid evolves, Eskom says.
