South Africa’s Eskom Acquires Its First 20 Electric Vehicles – CleanTechnica

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South Africa’s national electricity utility company, Eskom, launched its first fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) this week. Eskom’s Distribution Division is leading the way in adopting electric vehicles for the utility company. Eskom says this is a major milestone in the company’s journey toward sustainable transport and a cleaner energy future for all South Africans.

The launch featured interactive demonstrations with technical experts, and test drives of the new EVs highlighting their benefits, which include lower emissions, reduced operating costs, and improved efficiency.

This follows Eskom’s initiative of installing 10 charging stations across five sites to support the growing adoption of electric transportation. The 10 charging stations, installed last year, were installed at the Eskom Academy of Learning (EAL) in Midrand, Gauteng; Brackenfell in Cape Town; Mkondeni in Pietermaritzburg; Tlhabane Customer Network Centre (CNC) in Rustenburg; and Marathon CNC in Mbombela. These sites will serve as the foundation for Eskom Distribution’s long-term strategy to electrify its entire fleet by 2040. The installed charging stations, in partnership with GridCars, include direct current (DC) fast chargers (60 kW) and dual alternating current (AC) chargers (22 kW), optimally sized to cater to overnight charging of fleet vehicles and daytime workplace charging for employees and visitors. Eskom said this initiative will serve as a blueprint for the future rollout of electric vehicles across Eskom’s entire fleet. It is one of the levers that will steer the organisation towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and will also contribute to stimulating the local EV market. Eskom says the successful launch of this infrastructure is a result of the dedicated efforts of the project team within Eskom. Their work is laying the groundwork for a future where electric vehicles play a central role in South Africa’s transportation landscape.

Eskom, says to date, the utility company has received 20 EVs, ranging from light delivery vehicles to light trucks, with another 100 planned in the near future. These vehicles will be deployed primarily in the Distribution and Generation Divisions, supporting operations while demonstrating the practicality and benefits of e-mobility in South Africa. Eskom has about 12,000 vehicles in its fleet. 10,000 of them are under the Distribution Division.

“Eskom is taking steps to transform how South Africans move in a world where climate change is no longer a distant threat but an urgent reality. The launch of these vehicles is not only about mobility, it is about reimagining the energy landscape, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring every community benefits from the transition to sustainable transport,” said acting Group Executive for Distribution, Agnes Mlambo.

Eskom says its vision for electric mobility extends beyond vehicles. The organisation has committed to gradually transitioning its entire fleet to EVs, with the Distribution Division, which has the largest vehicle footprint, targeting full electrification by 2035. To enable this shift, Eskom will expand charging infrastructure across its sites and roll out 55 public EV charging stations over the next two years, creating opportunities for broader adoption.

“Eskom is driving South Africa’s shift to a cleaner, low-carbon future. Through e-mobility, we are cutting emissions, boosting innovation, and showing how sustainable energy solutions can create real benefits for communities and the economy. We see ourselves as more than just an electricity provider — we are enablers of progress,” said Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane.

Eskom says it is prioritising grid readiness for e-mobility. EV load forecasting is integrated into long-term planning to ensure that increased electricity demand is managed effectively. Smart charging systems and time-of-use tariffs are being developed to optimize energy use, making EV ownership more affordable and sustainable for the public. Over the past four years, Eskom has been engaging with key stakeholders such as government, automotive manufacturers, petroleum companies, and research institutions to build a strong and integrated e-mobility framework for South Africa. Eskom says its involvement in e-mobility is not only reducing emissions but also driving innovation, creating jobs, and contributing to a cleaner, healthier future for all South Africans. By embracing electric mobility, we are delivering tangible benefits to communities and the economy, while also pivoting into new revenue streams via this offering for customers.

It’s great to see large fleet operators such as utility companies going electric. This will go a long way in accelerating adoption of EVs, as fleet operators are some of the largest contributors to annual vehicle sales. Utility companies, telco companies, government agencies, NGOs, car rental companies, and rideshare companies buy a lot of vehicles every year, and if they start buying electric, it will supercharge adoption. For example, Eskom has a fleet of over 12,000 vehicles. If they replaced 10% of this fleet with EVs in a year, this would be higher than the current total number of BEVs sold annually in South Africa. Just over 1,000 BEVs were sold in South Africa last year.

Since BMW led the way in introducing battery electric vehicles on a regular basis in the South African market around 2015, which is a decade ago now, just over 4,000 battery electric vehicles have been sold in South Africa. Nissan briefly sold the first-generation Nissan LEAF, but that was discontinued after a short spell. 4,000 BEVs doesn’t sound like a lot. That’s because the South African BEV market has been hampered by high import duties and taxes levied on BEVs. These high import duties meant that automakers generally supplied the more premium models to the South African market where the sticker price could be more competitive with equivalent ICE vehicles. There are now more affordable BEVs on the market, including electric vans and pickup trucks that are perfect for utility companies and fleet operators, which should help boost South Africa’s BEV market. 

Hopefully, the South African government can work on reducing the high import duties and taxes currently applied to the importation of electric vehicles. Petrol and diesel vehicles imported from the EU into South Africa have a customs duty of 18%, while for electric vehicles it is 25%. There are also the Ad Valorem Customs Excise Duties and VAT. The South African government should at least reduce the import duties to match the 18% for ICE vehicles. In fact, they could learn from several governments on the African continent that have reduced and even removed import duties for BEVs completely to encourage adoption. Countries that have reduced or removed import duties on BEVs include Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mauritius, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, amongst several others.