Mercedes-Benz South Africa has joined forces with Chargify to enhance the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the country, aiming to install more than 120 AC and DC charging stations along key routes. These stations will be strategically placed between metropolitan areas, encompassing airports, shopping malls, restaurant hubs, private hospitals, expansion sites, residential estates, and small towns.
In the initial phase of the collaboration, the partners plan to install 67 Mercedes-Benz EQ-branded charging stations across South Africa during the first quarter of 2024. The subsequent phase involves the addition of over 60 charging stations in key areas; however, no specific timeframe has been provided for this expansion. Mercedes-Benz has announced a 10% charging discount for all EQ customers using the Chargify network.
Mercedes-Benz South Africa, in collaboration with Chargify, aspires to develop the country’s most extensive EV public charging network. The company is actively engaging with various sites nationwide to establish partnerships and facilitate network growth, with Chargify contributing significantly to this initiative.
The move by Mercedes-Benz into the electric vehicle charging infrastructure space in South Africa faces competition from Zero Carbon Charge (ZeroCC), which recently unveiled plans to establish a network of ultra-fast charging stations at approximately 150-kilometer intervals along strategic routes outside urban areas in all nine provinces of South Africa. This signals a broader effort in the region to bolster EV charging accessibility and support the growing electric vehicle market.
