Greener cars have truly electrifying potential

Adriaan Turgel has always considered himself to be a bit of a carman, but not in the traditional petrol sense. Instead, Turgel prefers vehicles that are “simple, cost-effective and environmentally friendly…” and he’s recently been awarded a licence to manufacture, import and build these vehicles.

His passion is however also shared with a tinge of frustration. Globally the world’s transport systems are adapting, but according to experts the switch to electrified transport in South Africa comes with a series of potential pitfalls. The decline in government revenues from fuel and other levies on cars as well as the decline in car sales with internal combustion engines are all things that will affect the economy. Preserving the local car manufacturing industry would also require significant investments from the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). These companies would need to update their facilities at a costly price to produce electric vehicles.

It would only make sense for OEM companies to change their production platforms if South Africa’s demand for electric vehicles increased. On the brighter side, our current industrial policy and incentive programmes are “technology neutral” says Renai Moothilal, the executive director of the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers. He says that given the global nature of the automotive value chain he would be “unconcerned that we cannot or will not be prepared for that change.”

So, until electric vehicle prices decline and the demand increases, electrifying public transport, particularly buses, makes the most sense for South Africa, according to Khanyiselo Kumalo, an energy analyst at GreenCape. “Electric vehicles are quite elitist; they are for high-income earners,” said Kumalo. “The only way that marginalised groups or the people who travel the furthest are able to benefit and access this technology, is if it’s applied to public transport.”

So while the pros for electric vehicles certainly could outweigh the cons, the upfront capital and policy shifts that are required seem to be slowing down the entire journey. Luckily there are industry leaders like Adriaan Turgel who are ensuring that journeys like these continue.

Read the full article on South Africa’s green car potential and hurdles here:

https://mg.co.za/article/2019-07-05-00-greener-cars-have-truly-electrifying-potential/

Related articles:

Business Brief by the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos Call centres create thousands of jobs in Cape Town, says James Vos, MayCo Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management Update by James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities The Regent Business School ensures uninterrupted learning during the lockdown Nedbank Business Ignite invests R1m into small businesses

Previous Article

Next Article