A Tesla Inc. vehicle charging at a Tesla Supercharger station in Petaluma, California, US. Picture: BLOOMBERG/David Paul Morris
The world of mobility is rapidly changing. The market for electric vehicle , in all their forms, is growing exponentially. Combined with technological disruptions in the energy space, the rise of EVs puts battery technologies at the core of sustainable development. Multiple technologies and chemistries, with their respective advantages and shortcomings, are competing in a market currently dominated by lithium-ion batteries . BMW SA CEO Peter van Binsbergen has said that the next generation of BMW cars built in SA must include electric models if the local division of the German luxury carmaker is to retain its export markets.
To explore the opportunities for SA to have a role in the LIB value chain, Michael Avery spoke to Dr Blanche Ting, energy and low carbon co-ordinator for Unido in the SA regional office, who provided an overview of the low carbon transport project; Edem Foli, programme manager at uYilo, presenting on the battery manufacturing landscape in the Southern African Development Community ; Gaylor Montmasson-Clair, senior economist at TIPS; and Paul Osborne, director at Balancell.
Michael Avery chats to his expert guests about the the growing market for electric vehicles and its sustainability within the South African economy in the future.