The charging sites were chosen because of their convenient, safe and visible locations. The chargers were donated to the City by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido). E-mobility offers an opportunity to create a healthier, more inclusive city, and one that uses a proactive climate change response to help drive the Covid-19 recovery.
The City is supporting the uptake of e-mobility for all and is developing initiatives to drive the growth of this technology in Cape Town so that it can become more accessible and rolled out in the future to benefit all Capetonians. The donated charging stations have been installed in the parking areas of the Bellville and Somerset West civic centres. The charging station in Somerset West will be opened to members of the public soon.
How it works:
The city’s mayoral committee member for energy and climate change, councillor Phindile Maxiti, says: "Globally, cities have been the electric vehicle champions, supporting the uptake of charging infrastructure, driving research, education and awareness campaigns and the transition of public fleets to EVs.
For example, this includes understanding the implications of a growing EV market, the impact of additional electricity usage on the grid and the required charging infrastructure development, such as the Bellville charging station. Thus for the City, supporting the first steps in the technology transition is incredibly important."
"The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the devastating economic impact that global crises can have and has shown that planning for climate resilience and reducing emissions is increasingly important.
This kind of proactive response to climate change will also assist our city’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic as the green economy offers new opportunities for businesses and job seekers. It also helps to ensure that the local economy can continue to trade competitively in a global world that is rapidly rejecting carbon-intensive goods and services, concludes Maxiti."