Africa Automotive: Snoozing is losing

As Africa forges ahead in expanding its automotive horizons by embracing new energy technology and welcomes investments in manufacturing and allied industries, South Africa is in danger of falling behind despite the announcements made in the recent Budget Speech to facilitate automakers updating factory facilities to manufacture electric vehicles.

In the midst of a tumultuous election year in which the ruling ANC could well find itself unseated after 30 years of governance in favour of a Democratic Alliance-led coalition government, long-term important decisions regarding the future of the auto industry could find themselves even lower down on the ‘to do’ list.

Ongoing problems with the state energy suppliers, Eskom, mean the country is still subjected to regular stage electricity cuts and this is doing little to excite ordinary car buyers to consider making the move to electric vehicles (BEV). Equally, the high price of BEV with no mention by Government of any incentives or considerations to help persuade people to make the switch, is not making this a speedy process.

BEV manufacture in the country would, in the medium-term, be almost exclusively for export to feed European and American markets, with the manufacture of combustion engine and hybrid vehicles continuing for the local and many of the African markets.

However, competition is hotting up and Morocco has initiated its first-ever industrial zone focused on the production of electric vehicle batteries, with a substantial investment of USD 2,3-billion. This 283-hectare zone is poised to generate 4 000 new jobs and has already attracted attention from international investors, including the Chinese company CNGR and the Moroccan investment fund Al Mada.

It is absolutely vital South Africa has its own battery manufacturing facility that will feed local automakers as well as being price competitive on the global stage.

During COP28 in Dubai, world leaders in climate policy gathered to assess the progress of nations in reducing emissions and to bolster their commitment to climate goals. A major topic of discussion was the equitable and swift shift from fossil fuels, a subject met with both hope and caution.

The transformation of transportation systems is crucial in the move away from fossil fuels. To maintain the global temperature increase within 1,5 degrees Celsius, it’s necessary for two-thirds of passenger travel to be free of fossil fuels by 2030, to boost electric vehicle (EV) sales to 75% of the global market, and to encourage more active and public transportation usage.

African nations, despite their low greenhouse gas emissions, experience significant adverse effects from climate change. Rapid urbanisation in Africa, coupled with limited economic and institutional resources, exacerbates these challenges. African cities are grappling with issues such as declining air quality, which is responsible for more than 383 000 deaths annually on the continent, as well as flooding, extreme temperatures and water shortages.

Inaction is not an option for Africa, despite the imbalance between their contributions to and the impacts of climate change. African governments at all levels must seize the opportunity presented by the continent’s population growth and emerging markets to overhaul their transportation systems and enhance the resilience of their communities.

The urgency for Africa to act is clear. Delaying the transition to electric vehicles risks prolonging the Global South’s reliance on fossil fuels, potentially trapping these countries in a cycle of dependency.

The continent stands at a crossroads, with the chance to lead by example in the global shift towards sustainable transportation.

The World Resources Institute’s latest State of Climate Action report casts a sombre tone, yet electric vehicles (EVs) emerge as a hopeful segment. Presently, the global adoption of EVs in the passenger car market is on a trajectory that aligns with the 2030 electrification goals. This surge is primarily driven by large markets, notably China, where the combined registrations for EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles reach about 20-million annually.

Africa, while currently home to less than 1% of the global EV count, is poised for significant automotive expansion. This is attributed to its status as the second most populous and fastest-growing continent, coupled with the lowest rate of vehicle ownership. This presents a substantial opportunity for the electrification of road transport throughout Africa.

In recent years, African nations have recognized the benefits of vehicle electrification, such as enhanced urban air quality, decreased dependence on imported fuels, bolstered local car production, and progress towards climate mitigation objectives.

Countries across sub-Saharan Africa, including Rwanda, Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Cape Verde, and Zimbabwe, have been proactive in setting targets to increase EV shares in vehicle registrations and are crafting comprehensive electric mobility policies, along with specific regulations and incentives.

This shift in policy reflects a commitment by African nations to move away from fossil fuels. The rise of start-ups aiming to electrify commonly used vehicles in African urban centres, such as minibuses and two- and three-wheeled motorcycles, is a testament to this commitment.

These types of vehicles are particularly prevalent in the informal public transport networks of East and West Africa. For instance, in Kenya, two and three-wheelers represent a significant portion of the annual vehicle registrations, exceeding 65%. This trend underscores the continent’s potential to revolutionize its transportation landscape through electrification.

Kenya’s electric vehicle (EV) landscape is seeing a surge in two-wheeler EVs, which now make up 70% of the country’s total EVs. In regions where two and three-wheelers are less common, public transportation is becoming a key driver for electrification.

Cities such as Durban and Cape Town in South Africa, Dakar in Senegal, Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, and Nairobi in Kenya are either operating electric buses or have plans to introduce them.

The growth of local electric mobility startups in Africa and the adoption of innovative business models are pivotal for the continent’s EV market. Research indicates that once EV sales hit 1% of total vehicle sales, a rapid increase in adoption is likely to occur.

However, many African countries have yet to reach this benchmark. For instance, Kenya’s EV registrations from May 2018 to May 2023 are estimated to be under 3 000, which is a fraction of the 400 000 vehicles registered each year.

To align with environmental and developmental objectives, African nations need to implement strategies that boost EV adoption to surpass this critical threshold. African EV firms are exploring strategies to price EVs competitively against internal combustion engine vehicles. Urban economies in Africa are fostering EV accessibility through creative approaches such as battery swapping, pay-per-use systems, and leasing options.

Nonetheless, meeting the demand for EVs in Africa remains a challenge. Despite the emergence of local electric mobility startups, the demand outpaces the supply, with companies such as BasiGo and Roam experiencing waitlists for their electric buses.

As a primary importer of EVs, Africa is poised to leverage its unique assets, including rich mineral resources essential for battery production, renewable energy prospects, and a young, expanding workforce, to strengthen its position in the global EV market.

Looking ahead, it is essential to explore various strategies to enhance the electric vehicle (EV) lifecycle, from production to end-of-life processes, through a multifaceted approach encompassing policy, technology, and economics.

Nissan Motor has announced its intention to debut its e-power hybrid technology vehicle in Tunisia as part of a broader strategy to gauge the demand for EVs within the African market.

Despite these challenges, Sherief Eldesouky, Nissan Africa’s Managing Director, remains optimistic.

“Electrification might take some time in Africa but we have a plan on how to introduce electrification, especially with our e-Power technology in some of the markets that are ready for this technology in Africa,” he says.

Nissan has already launched this technology in Morocco with the Qashqai and in Egypt with the X-Trail, with plans to expand to Tunisia.

Eldesouky added: “We’ve been leveraging our technology because Africa is not ready in terms of infrastructure availability of electricity.”

Elsewhere, Chinese automaker, Geely, plans to invest $200-million in a vehicle assembly plant in Algeria. The factory will have a production capacity of 50 000 vehicles per year. The first model to come out in 2026 will be the GX3.

https://bit.ly/3TGZqIe

Africa Automotive: Doing it for ourselves

CAIRO: The African automotive sector is surging ahead with new projects and new plans for both assembly and the manufacture of parts to feed what is hoped will become a voracious beast – provided even more cooperation and support can be gained from governments across the continent.

Steady progress towards realising an African Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is being made with countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and Egypt fully committed to making it work while, simultaneously, energising their own auto programmes.

The President of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) and Managing Director of Volkswagen South Africa, Martina Biene, said at the opening of the Africa Automotive Show in Cairo: “There are multiple opportunities for everyone in Africa to be a part of the combined value chain.

Martina Biene

“A comprehensive automotive policy creates the framework for trade and will build new car demand but remains dependent on economies of scale and any policy framework must serve to increase that demand.”

Presenting the results of a ‘roadmap’ study done in Egypt on powertrain evolution, Dylan Jessup, Automotive Sector Incentives Manager at EY South Africa, said battery electric vehicles (BEV) was “not the panacea” and that each segment in the possible alternative power source options needed to be evaluated separately and specifically for each country to “determine economic, environmental and social benefits”.

“South Africa’s auto industry is very built on a trade based policy but we need to look at regional integration and establish a healthy supply chain (that could involve beneficiating the raw materials mined in various countries rather than sending them away only to be re-imported).

“Each country needs to look at it strengths and work on those and the actual implementation of the AfCFTA will then make trade easier.”

Of the issues demanding urgent attention is the one on fuel quality with much of Africa still running Euro II specification whereas Europe is moving to Euro VII.

Rynhardt Rall, Regional Product Manager for Nissan pointed out the automaker had two plants in Africa – South Africa and Egypt – saying: “It is very expensive to run internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles on Euro VII fuel but Africa does not need to go head-to-head or play catchup.

“Africa is rich in natural resources so it makes good sense to utilise that,” he says.

Biene concurred and added the low level fuel meant Volkswagen could not introduce some of its latest generation hybrid vehicles that simply could not run on Euro II fuel.

“The South African government has to become more pro-active on this issue.”

The Intra Africa Trade Fair (IATF) is a massive multi-cultural event covering many aspects of trade and industry and, while a large and very significant element, the Auto Show is just a part of an entity where deals worth billions of Dollars are being done by Africans for Africans.

In a keynote speech read on his behalf, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI said: “Africa needs now more than ever bold, innovative initiatives to encourage private entrepreneurship and unleash the full potential of our continent.

“Over the past two decades, Morocco has made infrastructure development a priority in all economic sectors and is pushing toward its goal of deriving more than 52% of its national electricity mix from renewable energy by 2030.”

The King also stressed African countries should enhance “coordination and cooperation mechanisms to drive regional integration”,  citing the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline Project he says will “enable all countries along the pipeline route to have access to reliable energy supplies and to be more resilient to exogenous energy price shocks”.

There is a slender thread that links all of the different activities and interests at IATF and literary superstar Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Narrative Landscape Press announced the launch of The CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa.

Why does this matter?

“Stories can give us the confidence to own our aspirations,” says the writer. “CANEX is about hope – the hope of many more African stories. We need more African countries. Stories matter. Stories can take away dignity, but they can also restore dignity. Stories shape politics and perceptions.”

And that is the thread – reshaping politics and perception to benefit all Africans – and in his keynote address, Dr Akinwumi A Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, highlighted Africa’s prospects as a prime investment destination.

“The continent is not as risky as perceived, is growing and showing resilience despite global challenges. As investors, put your monies where the future is — the future is Africa.”

Part of the South Africa Pavilion at IATF

The President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani, pointed out manufactured African exports account for just 1% of world exports.

“We export them to developed countries and these countries re-export them to us processed and sell them back to us at ten times the price. Despite the obstacles, there are enormous opportunities for the development of value chains in Africa.”

Alec Erwin, former Minister of Trade and Industry now a driving force in the efforts of AAAM remarked the early 90’s in South Africa brought new challenges and the realisation the economy had to grow.

“Simply put, South Africa’s auto industry could not survive the way it was and that led to it changing to a volume production scenario which it managed very successfully. For Africa a similar system is needed that will let us all grow and, while there may be some policy differences, it will all be based on trade – and that is why AfCFTA is so vitally important.”

In a video address Anand Pather, Vice President Customer Services at Toyota South Africa, said: “Africa needs a comprehensive safety policy across the auto industry, something like the South African Bureau of Standards that will oversee all of the parts supply chain to ensure equal and high standards are maintained.”

If some of what AAAM and various African governments are talking about seems a bit ‘pie-in-the-sky’, think on this – the Start/Stop button so common in cars today started life as an Egyptian patent.

Colin Windell – proudly CHANGECARS

https://bit.ly/47qlLza

Africa Automotive - Nissan announces new agreement as Africa ramps up

Automotive activity across Africa is ramping up at speed ahead of the Intra Africa Trade Fair being held in Cairo next month – the latest being the announcement Nissan’s long-standing Algerian partner, Groupe Hasnaoui, has signed a renewed distributor agreement extending its history with the Japanese OEM, which dates back to 1993.

Nissan Africa President Joni Paiva says: “It’s a momentous occasion for us, as we seek to unite the entire continent under one organisation for the first time in our global company’s 90-year history.

"This is part and parcel of our mid-term growth strategy, to unlock the potential that this continent has as the world’s last automotive frontier by providing the best line-up of models to answer Africa’s mobility needs in a sustainable, safe and aspirational way.”

Nissan Africa is the only OEM on the continent to have two fully owned plants, in Egypt and South Africa and two DKD facilities in Ghana and Nigeria.

“We are excited about this partnership,” adds Maciej Klenkiewicz, Nissan South Africa & Independent Markets Africa Country Director, “We have ambitious plans for the Algerian market and specifically with the locally built Nissan Navara.”

The North African markets of Algeria, Egypt and Libya have been identified as key markets for the new Navara, along with a range of exciting packages that will be introduced with the model across the continent, he said.

“SUV leadership also forms part of our product strategy in Africa; we have started introducing an exciting range of new models, such as the Magnite, Qashqai and X-Trail to the African continent.”

Paiva added: “We have a wonderful legacy in Africa, due in no small part to the vehicles we produce and the partnerships we have established and nurtured over the last 60 years in some cases. It is wonderful to have a partner such as Groupe Hasnaoui in a strategically important market such as Algeria.

“Together, we navigate challenges, embracing a vision for the future built on trust and shared values. This agreement symbolises our collective commitment to sustained growth and prosperity in the Algerian automotive landscape.”

Opening a business roadshow in Algeria recently, Ms Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade Bank, Afreximbank said: “It Is time for Africa to take her destiny in her own hands and to determine her own developmental agenda. However, doing so will not be easy. It will require commitment, courage, and deliberate action. Traders need to seek out new market opportunities rather than the conventional route of turning to markets abroad.”

She added the African Continental Free Trade Area “promises to revolutionise trade, reshape markets across the region, boost output in the manufacturing and service sectors, and fundamentally transform Africa’s economic structure.”

Speaking about the Intra-African Trade Fair, she said it was created “to deal with the challenges of lack of access to trade and market information” and she praised the Algerian Government for deciding to hold a Country Day at IATF2023 in Cairo, saying that “it gives me confidence that Algeria is poised to lead  the charge for African trade.”

https://bit.ly/3QdWNNT

Colin-on-Cars - Nissan taps into Africa

Nissan Africa has revised its management structure to strengthen its foray into the African auto market.

“These are clear signals of the importance of Africa to Nissan globally through this new increased focus on the continent” says Joni Paiva who was newly appointed as Africa President. Paiva will also continue his current position as Divisional Vice President, overseeing Sales and Marketing, India.

Sherief Eldessouky has been appointed Managing Director of Nissan Africa with effect from April 1, 2023, replacing Mike Whitfield, who will now become the Group Strategic Advisor for Policies, Political Affairs and External Relations.

Sherief Eldessouky

“I am thrilled about this opportunity, I have been given,” says Whitfield who established Nissan Africa as a regional business unit in 2020 “Africa is a key market with an unmatched growth potential and the way we unlock that will be through a combination of intelligent mobility solutions and creating a coalition of willing countries to develop a thriving and sustainable automotive manufacturing industry.

Mike Whitfield

Eldessouky, who previously combined the twin roles of being Nissan Egypt country director and driving the transformation of Nissan Africa, has spent his life in the automotive industry in a career that has taken him from his native Egypt to Brazil, China, Korea, the United States and Uzbekistan, among others.

He joined Nissan in 2020 as head of the OEM’s automotive manufacturing operation in Egypt and was appointed country director at the end of that year.

“Nissan is well positioned on the continent, with an incredible legacy,” says Eldessouky, our job as a management team has been to establish just how we bring more wealth and value to a region with promising automotive growth opportunities with its rate of 42 vehicles per 1 000 compared to the global average of 182.”

Joni Paiva

“I am confident that with the team we have in Africa and the support that we get from our Nissan colleagues in the rest of the world, that we will achieve this.”

The position of country director Nissan Egypt will be filled by Mohamed Samad, who will return to Cairo from Japan where he has been based. Kabelo Rabotho remains country director for Nissan South Africa.

Maciej Klenkiewicz, currently Managing Director RBU Central Eastern Europe (CEE) will expand current scope to include Independent Markets Africa, making the most of his previous ASEAN importer management experience replacing Hide Kuwayama who is assuming a new position in Nissan’s global headquarters.

“These are exciting times for Nissan Africa,” says Paiva. “We have a very strong management team in place to drive the medium-term plan of ‘Let’s Build’ and to deliver the mobility solutions that Africa needs.”

The appointment are the latest iterations in a raft of changes and consolidations, which have seen Nissan Africa take responsibility for the North African territories of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia last year.

Visitors and delegates to the Africa Automotive Show and the Intra Africa Trade Fair in Abidjan in November will be able to hear about the full spectrum of growth within Africa of the auto industry, both in terms of sales and manufacturing or assembly.

https://bit.ly/3U75Lgb

Colin-on-Cars - No nose knows

We are all quite familiar with those unique individuals whose specialised olfactory senses help define the aroma of perfume, wine or whisky – but one whose hyperosmia is dedicated to cars?

Nobody’s nose knows Nissan in Japan quite like Ryunosuke Ino’s.

Ino, a Nose of Nissan or smellmaster — designated a ‘meister’ — is responsible for checking the aroma of new vehicles. Also, so that the passenger experience is literally a breath of fresh air, he also checks car air-conditioning systems and how vehicle smells can change over time.

Working from the Nissan Technical Center in Japan as a technical expert in the Vehicle Interior Air Quality department, the 20-year veteran leads a team tasked with analysing and authorising materials used in Nissan vehicles.

Particular

“Smell is an important factor in a comfortable car experience, and Nissan is very particular about it,” he says. “Usually, passengers smell the nearest thing based on where they are in a car, so it’s important we experience from all seats.”

Research suggests our sense of smell is surprisingly strong and can recognise hundreds of thousands of different smells. Smells travel via the body’s olfactory neuron tracts to brain centers focusing on memory and emotions, such as the orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus. That’s why a car smell can trigger strong memories.

Studies also show humans rely more on their eyes but can perceive tremendous numbers of different smells that can also leave a lasting impression. For Ino, it’s not just the critical first impression but how we perceive smells within the cabin during the drive.

Locate

“First of all, I try to identify where the smell comes from,” he says. “I try to locate it and evaluate from the vehicle user’s perspective, such as accessing the glovebox or using the sun visor mirror. I position my torso and head just like they would to gain an accurate impression.”

During a vehicle’s cabin volatile organic compound (VOC) evaluation process, which typically takes place over three days, Ino and his team of smell experts sniff the headrests, dashboards, mirrors, glove compartments, visors, seats, ceilings, cupholders, carpeting, and any components with measurable scent.

Checks are typically done within three to five minutes to ensure proper evaluation before the nose adjusts to the interior smell. If something does not meet the standards, checks are repeated to determine cause and corrective measures.

Materials

Seats using the same materials are evaluated individually, as they may come from different suppliers with unique production processes. Ino’s team aims to ensure the cabin’s pleasing atmosphere is enjoyed by all occupants, so work extends to parts suppliers making the fabrics, adhesives and polymers used in Nissan vehicles.

Air circulation and exposure to sunlight are crucial factors impacting car smell, so the team uses a special environmentally sealed testing room controlled for heat and humidity, with a lighting system that simulates intense sunlight.

“We consider various conditions cars face such as moderate to high ambient temperatures, which can intensify a smell,” he says.

After conducting the checks, Ino gives himself a breather – literally - a self-body recalibration to normalize his sensitivity to all smells. Ino and his team each have a personal way to reset.

Baseline

“Some experts have their own way of reaching a baseline, such as smelling coffee beans, to calibrate. In my case, I reset my nose by smelling my arm near my elbow. This is familiar, so it prepares me to detect new scents.”

Ino wears a Nissan uniform washed without detergent, ensuring that his smell impressions are clean and without influence.

The Yokohama native was interested in smells from childhood but gained his sniff degree on the streets of its Chinatown, inhaling the spices and aromas of shops, including his personal favorite snack, nikuman, or meat buns.

“From a young age, I could smell things and became interested in the smells of everything I picked up,” Ino says. “I learned various scents, and in Chinatown the smell of nikuman would vary from shop to shop.”

His youthful field tests gave Ino a refined sense of smell that his current role allows him to use daily, but he adds that there are still precautions taken.

“The day before a check, I try not to eat garlic dishes and foods with strong smells.”

Preferred consumer smells vary by region, so Nissan has teams in North America and Europe doing similar testing.

“Nissan’s smell standards are designed mainly by me as the global lead smellmaster,” he says. “However, each region is slightly different based on customer feedback, and their meister makes the final decision for their market.

Testing

Ino says his team of Japan experts must themselves pass testing that includes scents such as caramel or even flower stems and extends to subtle differences in interior materials. Nissan offers training to optimize the team’s smell-detector skills.

When asked how it feels to have a sense of smell as strong as the canines used to find contraband at airports or pigs who find buried truffles in forests, Ino laughs and says his work requires a special nose, but he sees his work as an extension of his passion.

“I am very particular about smells, so will continue to focus on improving the smell of Nissan cars.”

https://bit.ly/3oulUxu

Colin-on-Cars - Top performers at Euro NCAP

A total of 33 cars went through the stringent Euro NCAP testing process during last year – of which, 22 achieved the top 5-star rating.

Among the successes, the Mercedes-EQ EQS emerged as best in the ‘Executive Car’ and ‘Pure Electric’ categories, narrowly beating runner-up the Polestar 2. 

Performance

In the ‘Small Off-Road’ category, the winner is the Nissan Qashqai with an outstanding performance in active safety. The award in the ‘Large-Off Road’ category goes to Škoda’s first all-electric SUV, the Enyaq iV.

The Toyota Yaris Cross took the top spot in the ‘Small MPV’ category and the Škoda Fabia was the best ‘Small Family Car’.

The Euro NCAP Best-in-Class award is given to those cars which perform best overall in categories with at least three entrants that year. Winners must have achieved a five-star rating and must have no critical body region coloured red in the full-scale tests.

Timelines

Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General, says: “2021 was a tough year for the car industry: a shortage of parts, semiconductors in particular, was the sting in the tail of the Covid crisis, affecting development timelines, production and sales.

“Still, we saw quite a number of new car models coming to the market, many of them electric or hybrid, and many of them achieving five-star ratings despite the demanding requirements. Well done to the winners as well as to the runners-up, some of which were very close contenders for the top slot in their respective categories.”

Results

Executive:   Mercedes-EQ EQS

Runner-up:                   Polestar 2

Large Off-road:             Škoda Enyaq iV

Runner-up:                   BMW iX

Small Family Car:          Škoda Fabia

Runner-up

Small Off-road:             Nissan Qashqai

Runner-up:                   Polestar 2

Runner-up:                   VW ID.4

Small MPV:                   Toyota Yaris Cross

Runner-up:                   VW Caddy

Pure electric:             Mercedes-EQ EQS

https://bit.ly/32K2ld1

 Your car can 'speak' Zulu

Digital navigation is one of today’s driving norms and while we might still chuckle at the voice guidance struggling with our mixture of languages, the route directions are predominantly in English. 

Nissan South Africa has launched a service combined with its Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) technology that allows local drivers to use Zulu and local slang vocal commands compatible with Waze. 

Nissan, alongside TBWA Hunt Lascaris has Shwii by Nissan and Stefan Haasbroek, marketing director at Nissan South Africa says: “Shwii by Nissan is made with South Africans in mind. We are driving the local conversation on inclusivity, combined with smart technology by putting our local languages on the map.”

 

“When you speak to someone in their home language, they can understand and respond in time by reacting accordingly to any obstacle or potential danger around them and that was one of the reasons behind this campaign, to put our local languages on the map,” says Nokwe Ndwandwe, brand manager at Nissan South Africa. 

The campaign taps into the gap within voice navigation technology and the importance of language, which shapes our culture. While dozens of languages are available on apps such as Waze, Zulu – spoken by roughly 16-million people mostly in South Africa – was missing. 

With isiZulu and local slang as the brand new set of vocals, Nissan is fostering an environment of inclusivity – both inside and outside the car. 

More local South African languages will be coming soon on the Waze platform courtesy of Shwii by Nissan. 

Find out more about Shwii by Nissan here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cKROVPfobek

Racking up the kilometres

 

Statistics are wonderful things and, structure the question correctly, they will tell you exactly what you wanted to know – but here’s one that does produce some interesting and relevant information, notably European electric vehicle (EV) drivers travel further than their combustion counterparts (ICE). 

In fact, on average they are annually travelling 630 clean kilometres further than European internal combustion engine (ICE) drivers according to recent research commissioned by Nissan. 

The study reveals EV drivers are becoming trailblazers on European roads, totalling on average more than 14 200 km yearly compared to their ICE driver counterparts, who are averaging 13 600 km – this research using pre-lockdown numbers.  

“This research reiterates electric driving is not only a smart option beneficial to the environment but also a fun, exciting and convenient choice for the owners. It is no surprise people now drive EV further than ICE cars. We are confident that with more EV on the road dispelling myths, range anxiety will soon be in the past,” says Arnaud Charpentier, Region Vice President, Product Strategy and Pricing, Nissan AMIEO. 

Of the European EV drivers surveyed, Italian electric drivers travel the furthest, averaging more than 15 000 km yearly closely followed by those in the Netherlands (14 800 km), and the majority (69%) of European EV drivers are happy with the current charging infrastructure available. 

Almost half (47%) of European ICE drivers say the main advantage of a petrol or diesel car is greater range autonomy. Likewise, when looking into the reasons behind the 30% of European ICE drivers who are unlikely to consider a fully electric vehicle, the majority (58%) said the biggest concern is EVs have low driving range autonomy.  

Further exploration into factors that would convince drivers to switch unsurprisingly reveal:

• 38% of ICE drivers in Europe believe the biggest pull-factor would be greater range 
• 32% of European ICE drivers would be drawn by ease of charging. 
• 30% note having a better charging infrastructure would persuade them to switch. 

“With EVs on the cusp of wide-spread adoption, we can be confident these positive findings should help change the opinion of the ICE drivers for whom a degree of range anxiety is still preventing them from converting to electric mobility,” continued Arnaud. 

A quarter of European EV motorists say that running out of charge (28%), charging time (30%) and EVs being expensive (31%) are amongst the biggest myths of EV driving, implying that charging and infrastructure are sufficiently developed. 

Still a long way to go for South Africa - Ed 

“This is an exciting time for the automotive industry. As we continue to expand our electric line-up with the all-electric coupé crossover, the Nissan Ariya and the all-new Qashqai with our e-POWER technology, there will be more choice to help inspire drivers to make the switch and continue this positive trend of cleaner travel for our planet,” continued Arnaud Charpentier.