Two off-grid and solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations have been launched along the Johannesburg-Durban N3 corridor as part of the expansion of Zero Carbon Charge’s national renewable charging network.
The N3 Roadside station was officially opened at the Reitz Interchange in the Free State on May 19, followed by the CHARGE N3 Tugela station at the Colenso-Winterton Interchange in KwaZulu-Natal on May 20.
Positioned along one of South Africa’s busiest freight and transport corridors, the sites are part of a broader rollout of off-grid charging infrastructure intended to support long-distance EV travel while reducing reliance on grid-supplied electricity.
According to CHARGE, each site operates entirely off-grid using solar power and battery storage and is designed to charge up to eight EVs simultaneously. The company said the new stations provide higher charging capacity than its earlier pilot site on the N12 corridor between Klerksdorp and Wolmaransstad, which served as a technical proof of concept. Future stations are planned at intervals of roughly 150 km based on EV range and travel behaviour.
Speaking at the launch, CHARGE Co-Founder and Chair Joubert Roux said the company’s infrastructure strategy focuses on deploying off-grid charging systems along key national transport routes.
“By building off-grid EV charging infrastructure along key transport corridors like the N3, we are reducing dependence on volatile fuel prices while creating greater energy and transport cost stability over the long term,” Roux said.
The project has received R100 million in funding support from the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
Roux said the expansion along the N3 corridor will be followed by further rollout along the N1 as part of a planned national off-grid charging network.
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