The South African government has announced a series of incentives aimed at encouraging both the local manufacturing of electric vehicles and their purchase.
Trade and industry minister Rob Davies, announcing the scheme, said it was important South Africa was not left behind “in greening initiatives and technology.”
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Manufacturers who produce 5,000 electric vehicles locally will be reimbursed with 35% of the production cost over three years.
Although the Nissan Leaf is on sale in SA, no EVs are made in the country.
“That is why we need to get the programmes going,” said Davies.
Incentives for buyers of EVs are expected to include tax rebates and reduced registration fees.
There have been previous attempts to kick start EV production in South Africa with the government part-funding the Joule, an EV designed by local company Optimal Energy. It failed to attract investors to fund its production.
Last month, the Technology Innovation Agency, established five years ago, announced an e-mobility project designed to provide a charging infrastructure, advanced energy storage technologies and EV testing facilities.
