Namibia’s first DC fast charger for EVs
EVs Namibia and Grove Mall partner to empower EV owners
EVs Namibia CC
EVs Namibia CC and the Grove Mall are pioneering the first public DC fast charging station to enhance versatility of the growing Namibian EV fleet.
“EV” is the abbreviation for electric vehicle, while “DC” stands for direct current, the type of electricity stored in the traction battery of an EV. The launch of the first fast-charger will take place on 29 January at the Grove Mall’s lower-level parking deck.
Powering the future of transport
There are about 45 EVs roaming the Namibia streets and a survey among current EV owners pointed to the Grove Mall as the preferential fast-charging site in Windhoek. The mall has a 2.8 megawatt-sized solar PV generator on its roof, thus true green electrons are utilised during daytime charging. On the technical side: the DC fast-charger has a power of 40 kW and has two “nozzles”. When charging two cars simultaneously, power will be split 50/50. Nissan Leaf and Nissan eNV-200 EVs connect via their CHADEMO-standard fast-charging ports fitted on these EVs.
The CCS standard of the second nozzle allows to fast-charge most cars of European origin, e. g. the BMW i3 and Volkswagen’s ID3 and ID4 models. More standards can be accommodated using plug-adaptors. The charging process is easy: you take the nozzle off the hook and insert it into the DC port. For a 12-month period fast-charging will be for free, then followed by a comfortable payment modality via electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a client’s bank account.
The charging station is then activated by swiping a RFID card or via QR-code and App. Each EV owner will receive a RFID card on request. The price per kWh fast-charged will then probably lie around N$5.50, which would bring the typical “top-up over a coffee” for a Nissan Leaf costing below N$50.
Fast and efficient
While all EVs can be slow-charged at home overnight at any 15 Amp SABS 3-pin socket outlet, this initiative by EVs Namibia cc and Grove Mall aims to further E-mobility in Namibia by addressing hampering issues like “range anxiety” and the “missing-infrastructure argument” while giving EV drivers a chance to top up while shopping. It enables those with no possibility to charge at home with a charging-solution. Extending the daily driving range will allow even EVs with limited driving range to be used in taxi or request-taxi services.
In terms of the wider picture: Going electric in transportation is a true milestone to further Namibia’s energy independence since we can generate green electricity in abundance (the solar roof on the Grove Mall creates fuel to run 2300 EVs for 40 km per day!) while no meaningful oil reserves have been found under our soil. Climate change, on the other hand, is real. Today, as pictures of raging fires locally and from around our overheated mother planet are haunting us, the quest for ultrafast decarbonisation is a matter of survival. We all can turn over a new leaf and facilitate our mobility with a lighter footprint.
EVs Namibia CC and the Grove Mall are pioneering the first public DC fast charging station to enhance versatility of the growing Namibian EV fleet.
“EV” is the abbreviation for electric vehicle, while “DC” stands for direct current, the type of electricity stored in the traction battery of an EV. The launch of the first fast-charger will take place on 29 January at the Grove Mall’s lower-level parking deck.
Powering the future of transport
There are about 45 EVs roaming the Namibia streets and a survey among current EV owners pointed to the Grove Mall as the preferential fast-charging site in Windhoek. The mall has a 2.8 megawatt-sized solar PV generator on its roof, thus true green electrons are utilised during daytime charging. On the technical side: the DC fast-charger has a power of 40 kW and has two “nozzles”. When charging two cars simultaneously, power will be split 50/50. Nissan Leaf and Nissan eNV-200 EVs connect via their CHADEMO-standard fast-charging ports fitted on these EVs.
The CCS standard of the second nozzle allows to fast-charge most cars of European origin, e. g. the BMW i3 and Volkswagen’s ID3 and ID4 models. More standards can be accommodated using plug-adaptors. The charging process is easy: you take the nozzle off the hook and insert it into the DC port. For a 12-month period fast-charging will be for free, then followed by a comfortable payment modality via electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a client’s bank account.
The charging station is then activated by swiping a RFID card or via QR-code and App. Each EV owner will receive a RFID card on request. The price per kWh fast-charged will then probably lie around N$5.50, which would bring the typical “top-up over a coffee” for a Nissan Leaf costing below N$50.
Fast and efficient
While all EVs can be slow-charged at home overnight at any 15 Amp SABS 3-pin socket outlet, this initiative by EVs Namibia cc and Grove Mall aims to further E-mobility in Namibia by addressing hampering issues like “range anxiety” and the “missing-infrastructure argument” while giving EV drivers a chance to top up while shopping. It enables those with no possibility to charge at home with a charging-solution. Extending the daily driving range will allow even EVs with limited driving range to be used in taxi or request-taxi services.
In terms of the wider picture: Going electric in transportation is a true milestone to further Namibia’s energy independence since we can generate green electricity in abundance (the solar roof on the Grove Mall creates fuel to run 2300 EVs for 40 km per day!) while no meaningful oil reserves have been found under our soil. Climate change, on the other hand, is real. Today, as pictures of raging fires locally and from around our overheated mother planet are haunting us, the quest for ultrafast decarbonisation is a matter of survival. We all can turn over a new leaf and facilitate our mobility with a lighter footprint.
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