Electric vehicles are often described as zero-emission vehicles because, unlike petrol and diesel cars, they produce no emissions from the exhaust pipe. But there is another part of the equation that matters: where does the electricity used to charge them come from? As South Africa marks Zero Emissions Day on 21 September, that is an…
Every transformative technology needs a tipping point. What was once niche starts becoming normal. Investment accelerates, consumer behavior shifts, and the supporting infrastructure has to catch up. For electric vehicles (EVs), international experience suggests that point arrives at around 5% of new vehicle sales. BloombergNEF’s analysis of EV adoption across international markets has identified the…
The conflict in the Middle East has shown how events thousands of kilometres away can quickly affect the South African economy. Fuel prices have surged, inflationary pressures have intensified and businesses are once again grappling with higher transport costs. It is a timely reminder that one of South Africa’s greatest economic vulnerabilities is also one…
Heroes are wonderful things. By lifting them up, we keep ourselves grounded; by following in their footsteps, we chart our own paths. There’s certainly no shortage of heroes to choose from. Every field, from science to sport, has its legends who serve to inspire and shape the next generation. For me, my heroes are writers…
A mammoth study came out last month, in the journal Science, with some very uplifting conclusions about conservation. The goal was to figure out whether conservation efforts are actually effective at reducing global biodiversity loss, slowing its decline, and protecting endangered habitats and species. The study wasn’t limited to any one area of conservation. It…
“Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country” exhorted a notable New York newspaper editor in 1865. Well, times change, and instead, in 2024, we would do well to look to the East to see a glimpse of what the future holds. I recently spent two weeks in China, meeting a…
Similarly, the growth of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is still being met with scepticism by some world leaders, despite many countries already switching to EVs at impressive rates. For example, in Norway, 80% of passenger vehicle sales in 2022 were EVs, while in China, the biggest car market in the world, EV sales made up 22%…
In the South African renewable energy sector, we cannot allow so-called disadvantages and government lassitude to hold us back. We need people to challenge the status quo by disrupting it.
To enable green growth in the EV space, what is needed is a 100% renewable energy, off-grid, solution. Fortunately, SA already has the technology and the know-how to achieve this: our company, Zero Carbon Charge, last week began construction on the first of a national network of 120 off-grid, sustainable charging stations, with charging infrastructure powered by photovoltaic solar panels.
