South Africans mostly keen on EVs, but infrastructure concerns linger – Ford study

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More than 40% of South Africans are considering purchasing an electrified vehicle (EV) in the next five years.

This is according to a survey by Ford Motor Company, with most respondents preferring hybrid technology.

EV in this instance includes hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Ford conducted the survey across Australia, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

Ford is gearing up to build and sell the PHEV Ranger pickup in South Africa.

"This research highlights the need for continued efforts to educate the public about EVs, address concerns about cost, range and infrastructure, and to promote the benefits of electric mobility," says Ford South Africa product marketing executive director Sunil Sewmohan.

Ford says the research revealed that South Africans are relatively familiar with EVs, with most respondents classifying them as being 'fun to drive', 'cool', 'sporty' and 'easy to own'.

More than 30% of respondents said they had ridden in an EV, with 19% claiming to have driven one, and more than 70% noting that they had at least read about EVs.

However, almost half of respondents in South Africa said they were not aware of any public charging sites within 20 km of their homes.

Twenty per cent of respondents said they were concerned about the resilience of the power network, with 47% saying they were worried about EV charging infrastructure.

Service stations ranked highest as the preferred location for charging sites, followed by shopping centres and office buildings.

According to almost three-quarters of those surveyed, possible future loadshedding in South Africa would impact their decision to buy a BEV.

Similarly, 70% said charging infrastructure would affect their decision to purchase a BEV.

When it comes to the type of EV, HEVs came out on top, followed closely by PHEVs, with BEVs ranked third.

Saving money by not buying fuel was rated as a top benefit of owning an EV, but many believe maintenance costs for EVs are higher in the long run.

Just under 40% of respondents believe that charging an EV at home is as expensive as filling up a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle.