Automotive manufacturer Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) is midway through its project with electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider Chargify to expand the local charging network, by investing in 127 charging stations across South Africa, says MBSA Co-CEO and Mercedes-Benz Cars executive director Mark Raine.

MBSA has pursued the project owing to the growing demand for EVs which requires a robust infrastructure, says Raine. The company currently boasts the country’s most extensive range of EVs, including the EQ and EQ AMG models, particularly in the sports- utility vehicle category. Further, the company anticipates that EV and plug-in hybrid vehicles will comprise 50% of its new car sales by the second half of this decade.

“Next to offering the most extensive and diverse all-electric vehicle portfolio in the market, we want to provide not only our customers but all EV drivers with the luxury and peace of mind of a comprehensive charging network,” he says.

The company’s initial investment in the EQ-branded charging network amounts to R15-million, with an additional R25-million for the second phase of the rollout, while Chargify owns and manages the relationships with the various sites.

Phase 1 involves the installation of 67 Mercedes-Benz EQ-branded charging stations across South Africa. This investment aimed to provide current customers with a reliable charging network while also instilling confidence in those considering the switch to EV ownership.

Initially forecasted to be completed by the first quarter of 2024, Phase 1 of the project encountered unexpected delays, primarily owing to complexities during the contracting phase.

Raine explains that many of these complexities were related to the long-term lease agreements required for the charging stations, as they necessitate rigorous negotiations with site owners, and the negotiation timeframes varied significantly.

Phase 2 will entail installing 60 charging stations, bringing the total to 127 Mercedes-Benz EQ-branded charging stations. Despite delays, the company aims to complete the project by the end of the year.

Key Locations
Chargify is actively deploying alternating current and fast charging direct current charging stations at strategic locations along main routes between metropolitan areas. This includes airports, restaurant hubs, private hospitals and small towns. Further, Chargify has established partnerships with various organisations, including fuel stations, shopping malls, golf estates, high-end residential estates and conference centres.

Several factors were taken into consideration when evaluating and selecting sites, Raine explains. Key criteria include geographical location, along with ensuring that the chargers are placed where there is a need for charging resilience. Further, locations must have power capacity to support the chargers as well as accessibility to promote visibility and ease of use.

Raine notes that these factors can instil confidence in those considering switching to EVs.

Thus far, Chargify has completed installations across six provinces including Gauteng, Free State, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and North West. Chargify is currently expanding into the Northern Cape, with plans to deploy chargers in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

Following installations, Chargify will be responsible for maintaining and servicing charging stations to ensure reliability through proactive and reactive maintenance approaches.

Proactive maintenance involves designated Chargify personnel visiting chargers regularly to assess performance and branding, while ensuring that the required standards are maintained.

Reactive maintenance entails ongoing monitoring of charger status to promptly address operational issues, whereby a dedicated team will be deployed to resolve any issues.

Owing to MBSA’s collaboration with Chargify, Mercedes-Benz EQ customers will benefit from a 10% discount when charging through the Chargify network. Additionally, customers that purchase an EQ receive a complimentary home charging kit.

This initiative is part of the company’s efforts to align with its dealer network and partners to provide an ecosystem that includes aftersales services, charging solutions and new ownership models.

Further, customers can use apps such as ChargePocket by EV charging systems manufacturer, GridCars, which lists Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s network of charging stations alongside other available charging networks, to help users locate various charge points across South Africa.

In addition to partnering with Chargify, MBSA has also collaborated with GridCars, which serves as an operational charging partner. Through the partnership, MBSA can leverage GridCars’ industry leadership and extensive expertise in charging systems including installations, maintenance and management of EV charging infrastructure across the country.

Ambition2039
EVs serve as an opportunity to tackle climate change, improve urban air pollution and counter continued crude oil price volatility, Raine asserts.

Moreover, Mercedes-Benz Group AG is also pursuing a holistic approach to climate protection through a comprehensive strategy that spans the entire automotive value chain, which includes technical development, extraction of raw materials, production, service life and recycling.

As a result, the company has set its Ambition2039 goal which aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 2039 and entails working towards a net carbon-neutral fleet along the entire value chain and over the vehicles’ entire lifecycle.

To achieve this goal, the key levers include extensive use of recycled materials, the use of renewable energy in production, electrification of the company’s vehicle fleet and integration of renewable-energy sources for charging.

“The need to meet climate obligations and greenhouse-gas reduction targets is a universal imperative,” Raine concludes.