The state of play of the e-mobility market critically requires a shift in gears.
The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa’s(NAAMSA’s) 90th anniversary and South African Automotive Week (SA Auto Week) 2025 in Gqeberha was the destination for electric vehicle (EV) road trippers from Johannesburg, Durban and East London.
The journey to the 2025 SA Auto Week, held in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, themed “Escaping the Noise”, saw six vehicles arriving at the event, showcasing the ability to travel long distance using EVs.
The total distance of the EV road trip covered more than 4 000km with six electric vehicles, and some hybrids driven by over 50 participants.
“This second road trip in the lead to SA Auto Week proves that electric mobility in South Africa is not only possible today, but practical for local drivers and the locally available electric vehicle models,” says Hiten Parmar, executive director of The Electric Mission, a South African non-profit organisation focused on advancing the adoption and development of electric mobility and sustainable energy in the country.
“There is a diverse selection of public charging infrastructure en route between the major centres, and it is growing across multiple operators and investors.”
The EVs used on the 2025 road trip included the BYD Sealion, Leapmotor B10, Mini Cooper SE, Volvo EX30 Cross Country, EX90, and XC40.
According to Parmar, these road trippers act as ambassadors for the EV transition in South Africa while showcasing the growth and innovation in national charging infrastructure.
One of the first charging stops included a fully off-grid charging hub in Wolmaransstad, North West, that fast-charged six vehicles simultaneously, powered by solar only.
“The automotive sector in South Africa is a vital component of the local manufacturing industry, and a significant contributor to employment and gross domestic product,” adds Parmar.
“The opportunity for growth in the sector is highlighted by the increase in new vehicle sales, which are up 24.3% on the figures a year ago.”
The annual Global EV Outlook publication of the International Energy Agency profiles SA within the top 20 globally on the EV to charger ratio.
The Eastern Cape Province, the foundation of South Africa’s automotive industry, leads the public charging infrastructure diversity in SA, with the most versatile network of public fast chargers providing seamless electric mobility from cities through to rural areas.
“Urban travel is crucial to the electric mobility transition, but in South Africa linking urban and rural areas is of huge importance to connect communities separated by geography and employment opportunities,” says Parmar.
The 2025 road trip built on the success of last year, which saw participants travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town on a route covering over 2 000km with five EVs.
“Globally, electric vehicle models and pricing are transforming, and now even here in South Africa, more affordable models are making it to market, making electric mobility more accessible” notes Parmar.
Participating in an opening panel discussion at SA Auto Week 2025, Parmar emphasised that the state of play of the automotive market critically requires a shift in gears.
He said well-targeted demand and supply policies and infrastructure investments will increase the adoption of emerging technologies and support national ambitions for competitive industrial transformation.
