Boon for electric cars

Electric cars already being used at Cape Town airport
shows the type of design we don't want in SA.

JOHANNESBURG — South African vehicle manufacturers will receive incentives for producing electric cars, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said yesterday.

“South Africa must not be left behind in greening initiatives and technology,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.

He was speaking at the announcement of the Electronic Vehicle Industry Road Map, under which producers will have to make 5 000 electric cars to qualify for an incentive.

The government would reimburse manufacturers 35% of their production costs over three years.

Davies said the map would be published for public comment in June.

The department would then consult with concerned parties, including the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa.

The objective was to form an electric vehicle industry steering committee by July to review public input and manage the incentives.

Davies was confident the plan would get off the ground soon.

“We intend to submit for approval by Cabinet the final programme by September this year,” he said.

He said the map was meant to encourage the development of infrastructure for the local production of electric cars.

This stretched golfcar bus shows function killing design.

“What will make these vehicles sellable in South Africa will be entirely dependent on whether these cars are made in South Africa.”

Davies said the government was considering consumer incentives, but that production was taking preference at the moment.

“These are the very early stages for the cars in manufacturing. There are zero of these cars being produced in the country, that is why we need to get the programmes going.”

He said Eskom was taking part in the development of programmes that would make electric cars more appealing to South Africans. 

“Eskom is looking at a preferential tariff scheme for electric vehicle use.”

In February, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa announced a public-private pilot test project for an emission-free electric car. 

Molewa was at yesterday’s event. She said there were three charging stations available in the country. They were run entirely on solar power. 

“We aim to have 50 charging stations in the country for the cars by 2015.” — Sapa.