Audi South Africa (SA), in partnership with GridCars, has finalised the installation of 33 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country.

The chargers include four 150 kW (dc) ultrafast, five 80 kW (dc) fast, and twenty-four 22 kW (ac) EV charger installations.

All of the chargers are available to all South African EV drivers, regardless of model or brand.

“Audi is committed to ensuring that customers of any EV can comfortably travel the country, with the reassurance that the charging infrastructure is in place to support their progressive choice of mobility,” says Audi SA head Sascha Sauer.

“With the public Audi EV chargers now formally in operation and available, our project in ensuring that there are active state-of-the-art EV chargers at key destinations and lifestyle venues across South Africa is tracking well, and we are excited to officially encourage all early adopters of electric mobility to use these charge points.

This is a huge encouragement towards the adoption of EVs in South Africa as it’s a positive indication towards a growing public EV charging network in our country,” he notes.

The four 150 kW (dc) public chargers in the network are the first for the South African market, says the German premium carmaker.

These chargers will enable a driving range of about 340 km in roughly 30 minutes.

These ultrafast chargers have been strategically positioned along national roads to support long-distance travel.

They can be found at:

• N1 – Colesberg, Caltex, Northern Cape

• N2 – Mosselbay, Langeberg Mall, Western Cape

• N3 – Tugela North, Engen, KwaZulu-Natal

• N4 – Riverside Mall, Mbombela, Mpumalanga

The live 80 kW (dc) fast charging stations, enabling about 185 km in 30 minutes, are located at:

• N1 – Ventersburg, Caltex, Free State

• N1 – Richmond, Caltex, Northern Cape

• N2 – The Crags, Engen, Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape

• N3 – Tugela South, Engen, KwaZulu-Natal

• N4 – Alzu Petroport, Mpumalanga, (Audi has upgraded the existing unit from dc 60 kW to dc 80 kW. GridCars has also installed a new EV charging unit at Kranskop Engen, Limpopo).

The live 22 kW dual (ac) charging stations, enabling around 100 km in about an hour, are located at lifestyle and destination venues in the following provinces:

Western Cape:
• Hazendal Wine Estate, Stellenbosch

• Franschhoek Motor Museum, Franschhoek

• Delaire Graff Estate, Stellenbosch

• Spier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch

• Thesen Island, Knysna

• Graham Beck Wine Estate, Robertson

• The Marine Hotel, Hermanus

• The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel, Constantia

D’Hub B&B, Cape L’Agulhas

Gauteng:
• Parkview Shopping Centre, Pretoria

• Johannesburg Country Club, Auckland Park

• Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Country Club, Linksfield North

• Serengeti Golf & Wildlife Estate, Kempton Park

• Johannesburg Country Club, Woodmead

• Bryanston Country Club, Johannesburg

• Kyalami Corner, Johannesburg

• Virgin Active Bryanston, Johannesburg

Mpumalanga:
• 84 on Main, Dullstroom

• Hazyview Junction Shopping Centre

KwaZulu-Natal:
• Cornubia Mall, Mount Edgecombe

• Selborne Hotel & Golf Club, Pennington

• Cedar Garden B&B, Underberg

Free State:
• Protea Hotel by Marriot, Clarens

North West:
• Village Mall, Hartbeespoort dam

Audi says its network can be located on the GridCars live online map.

“Our mission is to continually increase EV charging points across the country in order to drive South Africa’s green e-mobility revolution forward,” says Sauer.