Audi’s ultra-fast electric vehicle chargers go live in SA

The first 150kW DC ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EV) have gone live in SA.

Installed by Audi in partnership with GridCars, they are the most powerful charge points in the country and will enable EVs to be charged to about 340km of driving range in about 30 minutes.

They are available to all South African EV drivers, regardless of model or brand ownership. These publicly accessible charging stations can be located on the GridCars live online map.

The 150kW chargers cost the same as other DC chargers at R5.88/kWh (10% discount applies to holders of Audi charge cards), while all AC chargers cost R4.70/kWh (also a 10% discount for Audi customers).

To support long-distance travel, the 150kW DC public chargers have been positioned along national roads at the following sites:

N1 — Colesburg, Caltex, Northern Cape

N2 — Mosselbay, Langeberg Mall, Western Cape

N3 — Tugela North, Engen, KwaZulu-Natal

N4 — Riverside Mall, Mbombela, Mpumalanga

The four ultra-fast chargers are part of an installation of 33 new EV chargers across the country by Audi SA and GridCars. The other chargers range in capacity from 22kW (AC) to 80kW (DC).

“Audi is committed to ensuring that customers of any electric vehicle can comfortably travel the country, with the reassurance that the EV charging infrastructure is in place to support their progressive choice of mobility,” says Sascha Sauer, head of Audi SA.

“This is a huge encouragement towards the adoption of EVs in SA as it’s a positive indication towards a growing public EV charging network in our country.”

The live 80kW (DC) fast charging stations, enabling about 185km of range in 30 minutes, are located at:

N1 — Ventersburg, Caltex, Free State

N1 — Richmond, Caltex, Northern Cape

N2 — The Crags, Engen, Plettenburg Bay, Western Cape

N3 — Tugela South, Engen, KwaZulu-Natal

N4 — Alzu Petroport, Mpumalanga. Audi has upgraded the existing unit from DC 60kW to DC 80kW. GridCars has also installed a new EV charging unit at Kranskop Engen, Limpopo.

The live 22kW dual (AC) charging stations, enabling about 100km in about one hour can be located at lifestyle and destination venues in the following provinces:

Western Cape

Hazendal Wine Estate, Stellenbosch

Franschhoek Motor Museum, Franschhoek

Delaire Graff Estate, Stellenbosch

Spier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch

Thesen Island, Knysna

Graham Beck Wine Estate, Robertson

The Marine Hotel, Hermanus

The Cellars Hohenort Hotel, Constantia

D’Hub B&B, Cape L'Agulhas

Gauteng

Parkview Shopping Centre, Pretoria

Johannesburg Country Club, Auckland Park

Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Country Club

Serengeti Golf & Wildlife Estate, Kempton Park

Johannesburg Country Club, Woodmead

Bryanston Country Club, Johannesburg

Kyalami Corner, Johannesburg

Virgin Active Bryanston, Johannesburg

Mpumalanga

84 on Main, Dullstroom

Hazyview Junction Shopping Centre

KwaZulu-Natal            

Cornubia Mall, Mt. Edgecombe

Selborne Hotel & Golf Club, Pennington

Cedar Garden B&B, Underberg

Free State                      

Protea Hotel by Marriot, Clarens

North West

Village Mall, Haartebeespoort Dam

“Our mission is to continually increase EV charging points across the country in order to drive SA’s green e-mobility revolution forward,” Winstone Jordaan, MD of GridCars, says.