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South Africans mostly keen on EVs, but infrastructure concerns persist – Ford study

By: Irma Venter 15th November 2024 More than 40% of South Africans are considering purchasing an electrified vehicle (EV) in the next five years. This is according to a survey by Ford Motor Company, with most respondents preferring hybrid technology. →

Volkswagen rolls out electric tractors, with battery swapping, in Rwanda

By: Irma Venter 14th November 2024 Volkswagen Group Africa (VWA) has announced the start of operations of a modern farming pilot project in Gashora, Rwanda, that will see the rollout of specially developed VW-badged electric tractors (e-tractors) for use by farmers in the area. The GenFarm Project aims to facilitate... →

The Volkswagen electric tractor

EV charging system enhances energy efficiency, optimises use

By: Simone Liedtke 1st November 2024 Multinational technology company ABB’s Terra DC Fast Charger is positioned as a solution that advances both energy efficiency and sustainability in the electric vehicle (EV) charging industry, ABB product marketing specialist for smart power Veron Maharaj says, adding that the charger leverages... →

E-MOBILITY The Terra DC Fast Charger is specifically designed to be highly efficient compared to conventional charging systems

Consumers to be subsidised to buy electric vehicles – Ramaphosa

By: Irma Venter 1st November 2024 South African consumers should receive some form of subsidy to buy electric vehicles (EVs), in the nearer future, as has been the case in most major markets in the world. The subsidies are aimed at assisting car buyers to transition to these cleaner, but still more expensive, vehicles. →

Bring forward policy review, drop luxury tax on new-energy vehicles – Toyota CEO

By: Irma Venter 1st November 2024 The midterm review on the second iteration of government’s Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) is scheduled for 2026, but the local automotive industry wants to bring this forward, says Toyota South Africa Motors CEO Andrew Kirby. The APDP 2 provides duty and investment support... →

First electric minibus taxis to be piloted in Cape Town next year

By: Irma Venter 1st November 2024 By this time next year, it will be possible to tell whether electric minibus taxis are viable people movers within the South African transport landscape. By then, newcomer to the domestic automotive landscape flx EV aims to have 40 battery electric taxis up and running in and around Cape Town,... →

South Africans mostly keen on EVs, but infrastructure concerns linger – Ford study

By: Irma Venter 31st October 2024 More than 40% of South Africans are considering purchasing an electrified vehicle (EV) in the next five years. This is according to a survey by Ford Motor Company, with most respondents preferring hybrid technology. →

Deputy Minister confident that more battery sector investments are in store

By: Marleny Arnoldi 25th October 2024 Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield says he is confident that South Africa can become a components and equipment manufacturing hub for the clean technology value chain, including battery technologies for energy storage, electric mobility and materials handling.... →

Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield

Automotive experts agree new tech is essential to stay competitive

By: Marleny Arnoldi 25th October 2024 South Africa’s manufacturing sector has an opportunity to cater for global electrification by producing more solar panels, developing battery components and venturing into more components for the electric vehicle (EV) value chain, said Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies executive director Saul... →

Off-grid EV charger programme launched in the Eastern Cape

By: Irma Venter 25th October 2024 Zero Carbon Charge (Charge), in partnership with the Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern Cape (AIDC-EC), and together with the Eastern Cape provincial government, has broken ground on what it describes as an off-grid, ultra-fast, green electric vehicle (EV) charging network. Once... →

Bring forward policy review, drop luxury tax on new-energy vehicles – Toyota CEO

By: Irma Venter 22nd October 2024 The midterm review on the second iteration of government’s Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) is scheduled for 2026, but the local automotive industry wants to bring this forward, says Toyota South Africa Motors CEO Andrew Kirby. APDP 2 provides duty and investment support to... →

Andrew Kirby

Event an opportunity to source new tech

By: Halima Frost 18th October 2024 Waterjet cutting service provider MAXJET will attend this year’s Manufacturing Indaba – to be held at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, on October 22 and 23 – to scout new technologies and network with relevant industry players. It aims to engage with several of its current clients... →

A MAXJET Waterjet cutter cutting into a piece of metal

MAXIMUM EFFICACY MAXJET Global maintains embracing new technologies is crucial to ensuring its processes and products meet its clients exacting requirement

Consumers to be subsidised to buy electric vehicles – President Rampahosa

By: Irma Venter 17th October 2024 South African consumers should, in the nearer future, receive some form of subsidy to buy electric vehicles (EVs), as has been the case in most major markets in the world. These subsidies are aimed at assisting car buyers to transition to these cleaner, but still more expensive, vehicles. →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Government must look after current investors and not only seek new ones – Naamsa president

By: Irma Venter 16th October 2024 It is important for government to not only pursue new investors, but to also look after current investors already doing business in South Africa, says Naamsa | The Automotive Business Council president Billy Tom. Tom is also the CEO of Isuzu Motors South Africa. The local arm of the Japanese... →

Naamsa president Billy Tom

As key export markets falter, SA Inc must work together to secure maximum production at its auto plants

By: Irma Venter 15th October 2024 New-vehicle exports from South Africa were down 9.2% for the first half of the year compared with the same six months last year, says naamsa | The Automotive Business Council president Billy Tom. This follows a new record, set last year, at 399 594 new vehicles exported. Three-quarters of South... →

naamsa Manufacturing Original-Equipment Manufacturers VP Peter van Binsbergen

GAC Motor arrives in SA with two SUVs, EV to follow next year

By: Irma Venter 11th October 2024 GAC Motor is one of the newest companies to join the inflow of Chinese brands into the South African new-vehicle market. Engineering News Online spoke to GAC Motor South Africa (GAC SA) CEO Leslie Ramsoomar about the prospects for the company in an increasingly crowded sports-utility vehicle... →

The EMZOOM

VWA operating normally amid rumours of plant closures at German parent company

By: Irma Venter 11th October 2024 Volkswagen Group Africa (VWA) says its Kariega assembly plant, in the Eastern Cape, is operating as normal amid possible plant closures and job cuts at its parent company in Germany. In fact, the local company says it expects exceptional production volumes this year. →

Belgian team claims 2024 Sasol Solar Challenge title

By: Irma Venter 11th October 2024 Belgium’s Innoptus team has secured the 2024 Sasol Solar Challenge title, with the team breaking the daily distance record twice in a row during the competition. The Innoptus team consists of engineering students from KU Leuven. →

Zero Carbon Charge, AIDC-EC launch off-grid EV charger programme in the Eastern Cape

By: Irma Venter 8th October 2024 Zero Carbon Charge (Charge), in partnership with the Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern Cape (AIDC-EC), and together with the Eastern Cape provincial government, has broken ground on what it describes as an off-grid, ultra-fast, green electric vehicle (EV) charging network. Once... →

BMW Group South Africa starts production of the new plug-in X3

By: Irma Venter 7th October 2024 BMW Group South Africa’s (BMW SA’s) Rosslyn plant, in Tshwane, has started production of the fourth-generation BMW X3, following a R4.2-billion investment. It is the only facility in the BMW global production network to build the X3 as a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). →

BMW staff celebrates the start of PHEV X3 production

Business as usual at VWA amid rumours of German plant closures

By: Irma Venter 30th September 2024 Volkswagen Group Africa (VWA) says its Kariega assembly plant, in the Eastern Cape, is operating as normal amid possible plant closures and job cuts at its parent company in Germany. In fact, the local company says it expects good production volumes this year. →

Image of inside the VWSA plant in Kariega

Inside the VWA plant in Kariega

Increased local content, skills transfer attainable targets

By: Lumkile Nkomfe 27th September 2024 The Nedbank Manufacturing Roundtable, held on July 11, in Johannesburg, has highlighted the imperative of greater localisation opportunities and the need to facilitate comprehensive skills transfer in the manufacturing sector. The speakers at this event included financial services company Nedbank... →

A generic image of a car manufacturing assembly line

OBJECTIVE OUTLOOK Private sector manufacturing stakeholders remain hopeful in the sector’s ability to reach its production targets, despite the pressing logistical and energy challenges

Push to increase component volumes gains impetus – NAACAM

By: Lumkile Nkomfe 27th September 2024 The National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) says the local production of automotive components must increase to foster sustainable economic growth. While the association laments the sizable energy and logistics challenges, it takes comfort in the strategic... →

BETH DEALTRY We need to double our production volumes and get to producing 1.4 million vehicles by 2035

Belgian team clinches 2024 Sasol Solar Challenge title

By: Irma Venter 23rd September 2024 Belgium’s Innoptus team has secured the 2024 Sasol Solar Challenge title, with the team breaking the daily distance record twice in a row during the competition. The Innoptus team consists of engineering students from KU Leuven. →

Image of the Innoptus solar team from Belgium

The Innoptus team

Electric motorbike powered by the sun to travel from Kenya to South Africa

By: Irma Venter 20th September 2024 An electric motorbike, designed and built in Africa and powered only by the sun, is set to tackle the road from Nairobi, in Kenya, to Stellenbosch, South Africa, in October. Researchers from the Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch University (SU) have joined forces with Roam, an electric... →

The Roam Air in action

BMW SA halts third-generation X3 production, gears up for new model next month

By: Irma Venter 20th September 2024 BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) has halted production of the third-generation X3 at its Rosslyn plant, in Pretoria, and will now gear up for production of the new-generation model. The last vehicle in the current series, which has been shipped to a customer in Germany, was produced at the end of... →

Norway’s electric car parc now outnumbers its pure petrol car fleet

By: Irma Venter 18th September 2024 For the first time ever there are more electric cars than pure petrol cars in Norway’s passenger-car fleet. Of the 2.8-million registered passenger cars in the Nordic country, there are 754 303 electric cars (as of 16 September) and 753 905 petrol cars, this according to figures from Norway’s... →

City Logistics tests the electric Canter; DTSA to roll out leasing once trials wrap up

By: Irma Venter 6th September 2024 City Logistics says it has been “pleasantly surprised” by the load-carrying performance of its trial electric Fuso Canter (eCanter) small truck. Earlier this year, Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) announced that it would launch a comprehensive line-up of battery-electric trucks, ranging from... →

BMW SA ends production of third-generation X3, gears up for new model in October

By: Irma Venter 5th September 2024 BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) has halted production of the third-generation X3 at its Rosslyn plant, in Pretoria, and will now gear up for production of the new-generation model. The last vehicle in the current series, which has been shipped to a customer in Germany, was produced at the end of... →

The last third-generation X3 produced at the BMW plant in Rosslyn

Diversification strategy saves the day for Motus as SA economy bites

By: Irma Venter 3rd September 2024 Motus’s Import and Distribution business took a significant bite out of the automotive group’s profit in the financial year ended June 30, says CEO Osman Arbee. “Minus the importers we had a great year.” →

Osman Arbee

Golden Arrow, Eskom in electric bus deal

By: Irma Venter 30th August 2024 Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) and power utility Eskom have signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) which sets out the terms for ongoing engagement related to GABS’ planned introduction of electric buses into the public transport sector. GABS in July signed a deal to acquire 120 electric buses... →

IDC optimistic of industrial investment recovery following fall in disbursements to R15.9bn

By: Terence Creamer 29th August 2024 South Africa’s Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is optimistic of converting the rise in business confidence that has accompanied the recent easing in loadshedding and visible efforts to address freight logistics bottlenecks into higher levels of investment this year, following a decline... →

Interim IDC CEO David Jarvis

Sasol Solar Challenge set for September 13 start

By: Irma Venter 27th August 2024 Now in its sixteenth year, the Sasol Solar Challenge is set to start on September 13 in Secunda, in Mpumalanga, and wrap up at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on September 20. The biennial race, which will include international teams from universities in Belgium and The Netherlands, for example,... →

The Brunel team is set to return to the 2024 event

Eskom launches EV charging pilot programme in Midrand

By: Marleny Arnoldi 23rd August 2024 As Eskom works to electrify its vehicle fleet and decarbonise its operations, the State-owned power utility is piloting electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at its Academy of Learning, in Midrand. This marks a milestone in Eskom Distribution’s commitment to supporting the growth of the... →

Golden Arrow to acquire 120 electric buses from BYD

By: Irma Venter 23rd August 2024 Cape Town’s Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) has signed a deal to acquire 120 electric buses from Chinese automotive powerhouse BYD, following four years of testing. Delivery of the 65-seater units is scheduled to start later this year, with all the buses expected to be operational before... →

Electric SUV under R400 000 launched

By: Irma Venter 23rd August 2024 Pretoria-based importer and distributor of battery electric vehicles (EVs) Enviro Automotive has launched the Dayun Yuehu S5 mini sports-utility vehicle (SUV) in South Africa. The 3.6 m S5 is priced under R400 000, which makes it one of the cheapest EVs on the market, with Enviro Automotive... →

N3 freeway truck chargers MoU signed

By: Irma Venter 23rd August 2024 Zero Carbon Logistics (Zero CL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer Sany to be the technology provider for its proposed off-grid electric truck charging network on the N3 free way. Zero CL says Sany will develop and operate six renewable-energy... →

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