Global electric vehicle (EV) growth is set to increase pressure on electricity systems with the International Energy Agency (IEA) warning that grid constraints could become more pronounced as charging speeds increase and EV deployment accelerates.
In its Global EV Outlook 2026, the IEA projects that electricity demand from EVs could exceed 1 500 TWh by 2035, representing roughly a sixfold increase from 2025 levels.
The report notes that, while this will increase total global electricity demand by about 4%, impacts are expected to vary significantly by region depending on EV uptake, charging behaviour and electricity network readiness.
The IEA said technological advances are enabling faster charging with the first 1 000 V EV models entering the market in 2025 and charging times of under 10 minutes continuing to emerge in 2026. However, the agency warned that faster charging and wider EV adoption could place greater strain on electricity networks if grid infrastructure and charging deployment do not keep pace.
The report identifies smart charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies as important flexibility tools that could help reduce peak demand by shifting charging loads and allowing EVs to feed electricity back into the grid.
According to the IEA, the first commercial V2G offers for private EV owners emerged in 2025 although deployment remains constrained by regulatory fragmentation, unclear standards and limited availability of V2G-capable models.
Commenting on the development, The Electric Mission Executive Director Hiten Parmar said South Africa will need to align electricity planning with transport electrification.
“The national Integrated Resource Plan must be put into action for additional energy capacity and technology transition,” he said.
The local automotive sector will need to accelerate its transition to zero emission vehicle production to remain aligned with export market requirements, Parmar added.
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