CLEAN MOTORING
SA lags behind as move to electric cars gathers pace
SA needs to make decisions soon or risk isolating itself from a rapidly changing automotive world, writes Mark Smyth
SA may have just 18 months to catch up to the rest of the world when it comes to new car engine technology. This warning comes from Nico Vermeulen, director of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA. Vermeulen says many global car companies are manufacturing engines with outdated or rapidly dating technology to supply SA. "In 18 months’ time, many manufacturers will not have access to this older technology," says Vermeulen. "Then we have a problem." Tim Abbott, BMW SA’s MD, says it is unlikely that the country will become a market for older-technology vehicles produced in places such as China and India. "The chances are that over the medium term we will see a mix of vehicles on our roads," says Abbott. "The country may move slightly slower than the larger markets, but this will allow the developed world to bear the cost of developing emissions-free mobility, and in time EVs [electric vehicles] will reach a tipping point of price parity with traditional internal c...
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