The South African EV market is starting to pick up now after a slow start. High import tariffs levied on EVs as well as the lack of an EV policy and supportive frameworks have been some of the main barriers to adoption. Despite all this, a lot of progress has been made in South Africa’s EV sector. There is a growing charging network covering some of the major highways, such as Johannesburg to Durban and Johannesburg to Cape Town.
VWSA will soon be evaluating the ID.4 for the South African market. The ID.4 is perhaps more suited to the market given the rising popularity around crossover/SUV type vehicles. It could also be more competitive in the market from a pricing point of view. Like in any market around the world, there is still a lot of work to do from an education point of view to raise awareness about EVs in South Africa. Which is why I was excited to see VWSA showcase the ID.
In another interesting development, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has partnered with DHL for the pilot test of an ID.Buzz Cargo fleet in South Africa. Four ID.Buzz Cargo units will be placed at the DHL centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban for a period of six months. The units will be utilized for a specialized last-mile courier service at these centres as part of DHL’s local pilot test of its global zero emissions logistics target. The introduction of the ID.